Tuesday, September 03, 2013 22nd Week in Ordinary Time First Reading:
1 Thes 5:1-6, 9-11 Gospel Reading: Lk 4:31-37
Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and began teaching the people at the Sabbath meetings. They were astonished at the way he taught them, for his word was spoken with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man possessed by an evil spirit who shouted in a loud voice, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I recognize you: you are the Holy One of God.” Then Jesus said to him sharply, “Be silent and leave this man!” The evil spirit then threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him harm.
Amazement seized all these people and they said to one another, “What does this mean? He commands the evil spirits with authority and power. He orders, and you see how they come out!” And news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding area.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE (Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
The evil spirit possessing the man of today’s Gospel reading recognized Jesus as the holy one of God. But this recognition didn’t qualify as valid public confession of Jesus’ identity. Recognition is not confession until there is submission. Unfortunately, recognition can never ripen to submission if done out of fear as what happened to the evil spirit’s recognition of Jesus. The devil’s recognition of Jesus did not lead him to conversion but to flight for self-preservation.
To a certain extent, what happened was advantageous to Jesus. Spontaneous affirmation coming from a biased enemy is truer a thousand times than a similar affirmation coming from a friend. When the evil spirit recognized Jesus in public as the holy one of God, it was, for Jesus, advertisement at its best! This notwithstanding, Jesus dismissed the evil spirit for two reasons. Firstly, Jesus had the welfare of the possessed person in mind. Secondly, he was not the typical ego-tripper that a flatterer can easily tame with praises and affirmations. God takes glory only from hearts that are sincere.
All jaws dropped when at the command of Jesus the evil spirit scrammed. “He commands the evil spirits with authority and power. He orders, and you see how they come out!” spectators exclaimed. Then they asked: “What does this mean?” The answer was obvious but they weren’t ready for the commitment the obvious answer could demand from them.
We Christians recognize Jesus as the holy one of God. But recognition must ripen to submission so that as we confess with our lips that Jesus is Lord, we may also allow him to reign in our lives. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM . Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website: www.frdan.org.
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