The Parable of Clean and Unclean

The Parable of Clean and Unclean
Matthew 15.10-20

One of the best-loved characters in children’s stories is Winnie-the- Pooh. In one escapade of this down-to-earth, loveable toy bear (the creation of the writer A. A. Milne), Pooh attempts to trap an Elephant – or, as he mispronounces it, a Heffalump.

Pooh digs a hole to catch the Heffalump, and decides to bait the trap with some of his own favourite food: honey. But, fond as he is of honey, he can’t bear to leave a whole jar of it in the trap, and so begins to eat some himself . . . excusing himself with the thought that it’s important to make sure it really is honey, all the way down. It wouldn’t do to have anything else, perhaps cheese or something, at the bottom. And of course, by the time he’s quite sure it really was honey all the way down, the jar is empty . . .

Taken from Matthew for Everyone – by Tom Wright