“But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then
the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” Luke 11:20
The Kingdom of God can come upon us in a variety of ways. The line
from today’s Gospel above comes in the middle of a story of Jesus
casting out a demon from a man who was mute. Once the demon was
cast out, the mute man began to speak, and all were amazed. And
though some were amazed and grew in faith as a result, others
turned their amazement into irrationality.
The irrationality of some was that they saw what Jesus did, but
they didn’t want to accept that His power was divine. Therefore,
some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of
demons, he drives out demons.” They couldn’t deny that Jesus drove
out a demon, since they saw it happen with their own eyes. But they
were unwilling to accept Jesus’ divinity, so they jumped to the
irrational conclusion that Jesus’ act was done by the power of “the
prince of demons.”
This irrational stance of some people is one of the most dangerous
stances one can take. It’s the stance of an obstinate heart. They
were given the incredible witness of the power of God at work but
refused to respond in faith to what they witnessed. For those who
are obstinate, when the Kingdom of God comes upon them, as Jesus
stated above, the effect is that they react in a violent, angry and
irrational way. This form of reaction is exceptionally prevalent
today in the secular world. Many in the secular media, for example,
constantly react violently and irrationally to all that is part of
the Kingdom of God. As a result, the evil one easily misleads many,
causing confusion and chaos.
For those who have eyes to see clearly, this violent and irrational
rejection of the Kingdom of God is very clear. And for those with
faith and an open heart, the pure message of the Gospel is like
water to a dry and parched soul. They soak it up and find great
refreshment. For them, when the Kingdom of God comes upon them,
they are energized, inspired and driven with a holy passion to
further God’s Kingdom. Irrationality disappears, and God’s pure
Truth prevails.
Reflect, today, upon your heart. Are you obstinate in any way? Are
there teachings from Christ and His Church that you are tempted to
reject? Is there some truth that you need to hear in your personal
life to which you find it difficult to be open? Pray that the
Kingdom of God come upon you today and every day and, as it does,
that you will be a powerful instrument of its establishment in this
world.
My glorious King of all, You are all-powerful and have full
authority over all things. Please come and exercise Your authority
upon my life. Come and establish Your Kingdom. I pray that my heart
be always open to You and to the direction you give. Jesus, I trust
in You.
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Featured images above: Jesus Heals a Mute Possessed Man By James
Tissot, via Wikimedia Commons
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