Jesus’ teaching often turns on its head the conventional wisdom of the world. Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, don’t seek revenge, trust in God’s provision when there is clearly not enough to go around. Here, too, he up-ends the standard way of looking at holiness and sacrilege, placing the focus not on what goes into a person, but on what comes out, the fruits of a life:
"Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile."
This week’s teaching invites us to look at our output in life. Not only the big-picture achievements, acquisitions, prizes, gains, goals met, works produced, but also the day-to-day external evidence of our lives. What are we putting out there for the world to see?
Is the fruit of our existence good and life-giving, nourishing and tasty, or is it old, rancid, stale, mealy? Do people associate knowing us with wisdom and insight, encouragement and enthusiasm, or do they encounter sadness or anger, bitterness or resignation? What words would you use to describe your affect?
Of course, we could ask the people we know how they experience us – that would yield some interesting feedback. We can also become intentional about observing our interactions as we move through the day, reflecting back on each encounter. What did we lead with? What emotion was dominant? What outcomes resulted from our interactions?
Our bodies teach us that output is connected to input, so it’s not entirely divorced from what we take in. Heart, lungs and digestive system all involve input and output, in some cases waste product, and in others renewed and renewing substances. Not all output needs to be vital and important, yet over all, we’d like what comes out of our mouths, our minds, our work and giftedness to bless others.
This week, pay attention to what you hear yourself say, what you watch yourself do. Rejoice in the outputs you like, and ask for God's help with the ones you don't. With God's Spirit at work in us, we can leave a trail of compassion and love, gratitude and grace.
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