Magazine /

August 23, 2003

Volume 120, Issue #17

Lectionary

True grit: Mark 7:24-37; James 2:1-10 (Matthew 15:21-28)

When I was in first grade, teachers assigned students to reading groups based on how well they could read. They would name all the groups after birds so that everyone would feel equal, but you could always tell how well you were doing by what bird your group was named after. There were the Eagles, the Robins and the Pigeons. The Pigeons were not reading War and Peace .

Pharisees are us (Mark 7:1-8, 21-23)

Jesus is not accusing the Pharisees of an early form of Pelagianism.

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