First Reading: Jer 7:23-28; Psalm: 95. R. v. 7d-8a; Gospel: Lk 11:14-23

OBSTINACY OF HEART

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP

“But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons.’” (Lk 11:15).

Faith in God does not necessarily require evidence. Faith is an invitation to believe in God even without seeing what God can do. Jesus re-echoed this when he admonished Thomas before the rest of his disciples saying, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (Jn 20:29). Although coming to faith without seeing doesn’t come easy; but not when invitation to faith comes with a very convincing sign. In other words, miraculous works are the easiest means to clear the doubts of the faithless.

What Jesus did in the gospel of today amazed the crowd. When Jesus healed a man possessed by a mute demon, the crowd marvelled and came to faith. These people believed because the miracle was so obvious and extraordinary. However, there were some in the crowd who instead of believing accused Jesus of using the power of demon to cast out demons. Some among them even asked for another sign from heaven in order to believe. Jesus was pained by their slander and hardness of heart. On the Day of Judgement, those who will receive the hardest judgement are those who chose to remain obstinate in heart when they had every opportunity to be believe and be saved but chose not to.   

Let us re-examine our lives today. How many times have we refused to acknowledge the kindness and love of God for us while we live and breathe? How many times have we doubted the existence of God yet believed in our own existence and the existence of the cosmos? Can order come out of nothingness? God does not need to prove anything to us for us to believe in him or in what he can do. Things cannot always work out the way we want. This shows our limitedness and the fact that we are not even in control of everything. And faith in God means believing that God is in control of everything; even those things that we cannot explain.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

O Lord, melt our stubbornness of heart and increase our faith in you. Amen.