Jesus is driving the religious establishment crazy. He doesn't follow the rules. In this Mark passage he calls a tax collector into his group, he doesn't fast like he's supposed to, and he eats with the wrong kind of people. The laws he breaks are purity laws...doesn't sound like a big deal to us, but it's a pretty big deal.
Frankly, as big a deal as replacing the carpet in a sanctuary. Doesn't sound like a big deal to the rest of the world, but we assure you, it's a big deal. Or...doing just about anything else new or different in any size organization from the family to GE. Our natural position is habit. Do something long enough, and our habits harden us in ways seen and unseen.
Many recent conversations have focused around people who can't/won't change or even entertain the idea of change. Crusty. Curmudgeon. Cranky. It's hard to imagine any of us starting out in life planning to become the crusty, cranky, curmudgeon. But there are plenty of us out there by the time we move past mid-life. And, I think we're all crusty about something, even when we are young. Christmas traditions, perhaps?
This text is under my skin today. Breaking the habit...growing new skin is a fervent Lenten prayer for me. Just keep me soft inside. Open to the new fermentation of the Spirit. Surprised by things I never imagined. Delighted by the taste of new wine, even when I love the old.
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