Tuesday 6 February

WAITANGI DAY

1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30; Psalm 84; Mark 7:1-13

God sees the heart

In our first reading, Solomon prays that God will dwell in the Temple in Jerusalem and, so, bless the people who will worship there. But our Gospel reading reminds us how easily people can turn even what is holy into human regulations that are self-serving and vainglorious.

Let us not judge simply by appearances. Outward piety does not necessarily equate with holiness. The heart is the Holy of Holies where love dwells but, if corrupted, becomes the place where every kind of evil and hypocrisy resides. God sees the heart; that is why God’s judgement is always true!