Names hurt, dirt doesn't

Even if you think they're wrong, grownups who tell you to say "sticks and stones" if someone calls you names are trying to help. They know something Jesus taught in this week's Gospel (Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23): that things from the inside can hurt us a lot more than things from the outside, like name-calling!

Some people saw that Jesus' followers weren't obeying one of their laws: They didn't wash their hands before they ate. "Why not obey the law?" the people asked. Jesus answered, "You've made laws out of habits. Those laws didn't come from God." Having dirty hands wouldn't hurt, Jesus added: "What hurts people doesn't come from the outside, but from inside their hearts, when they sin."

Some people Jesus met worried about "outside" things like name-calling and even hand-washing. They thought people who didn't wash their hands before dinner were breaking a law and wouldn't be close to God.

Things like name-calling -- things people do to us -- only hurt us if we let them. What really hurts is when you believe it, and that comes from inside you. If you know you're not a bad person, it doesn't matter as much if someone says you are. It's just not true.

Jesus taught that to the people who worried about hand-washing. He said that no kinds of "dirt" -- real dirt or even dirty things like name-calling -- that come from outside can really hurt you.

All you need to worry about is whether you're staying close to God. God doesn't care if your hands are dirty, or if people call you names; God just cares about people!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me remember you love me, no matter what anyone says about me! Amen.