7 MARCH 2024
THURSDAY, THIRD WEEK OF LENT
Jer. 7:23-28
Psalm 95
Luke 11:14-23
Dear friends, our calling as Christians and God's children is to always try to overcome evil with good. St. Paul, writing to the Romans, calls on the members of the church thus: ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’. This is our mandate and mission which we collectively share as God's children; bringing goodness in the world, standing up with good where necessary to the powers of evil. This was the mission of Jesus, which he handed down to us his brothers and sisters. In the words of today’s gospel reading, Jesus becomes ‘the Stronger One’. The strength of his goodness overcame the evil which he was so often confronted with. As the Stronger One, he plundered the house of the strong one: Satan, whose strength was overcome when confronted with the divine power of goodness at work through Jesus. See, as God pikin weh you be, you strong pass Satan, no be you suppose to de fear Satan, na Satan suppose to de fear you. The evil and opposition which Jesus faced took many forms. Here, it took the form of people who claimed that the source of Jesus’ goodness, the source of his good deeds, his healing ministry and power, was Belzeebul, Satan. For them, it was an evil power that was at work through Jesus. Christ was carrying out his mission: overcoming evil with good and here were people claiming that the goodness of Jesus was evil. In reality, Jesus declared to his critics that it is through the finger (no be even full hand oooo) of God that he heals people and releases them from their bondage and demons. Through Jesus, the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of Satan, has drawn near to us.
We can also see in the words of the responsorial psalm that Jesus’ critics were suffering from a hardness of heart; they refused to recognize God working through Jesus, they refused to listen to God speaking to them through Jesus. Sometimes, some of us can be as blind or deaf as Jesus’ critics in today’s gospel reading. There are times that we doubt the power of God working in our lives, even when we know that it's God's power. Brethren, every day, we are called to see the Lord's power more clearly and to listen to his Word more attentively. Every day we are invited to recognize ever more fully the goodness of God present in Jesus, in our church, in our neighbours, even in our enemies, and in those around us. This is a goodness that can overcome the presence of evil or sin in our own lives and in our world today. Just as some people in Jesus' time completely misunderstand the healing work of Jesus, declaring that he heals by means of Satanic power, we also, if not well guided, can do the same. Instead of acknowledging that God was powerfully at work in the life of Jesus, they declared that Satan was at work in his life. We need to get this right; that God can decide to use anyone to achieve His plans on earth, He can use the good, the bad and even the ugly to fulfill His mission. When this happens, some people will refuse to believe that God can use such people to His own glory. The people in Jesus' time were openly calling good evil.
We can also be blind to the finger of God, to the working of God among us. We can fail to appreciate the good that people are doing; we might see the good but interpret it wrongly, and judge it to be evil, attributing unfair motives to those whom God is using to do it. Jesus was always alert to the good in others, even when it was not obvious to others. Part of our calling is to recognize the good that others are doing and to celebrate and support it.
In the first reading, God laments the decision of the people to persistently disobey Him, not listening to the messengers He sends. Brothers and sisters, please let us not be faithless again, making decisions that will make God lament. The Lord blesses us and rather than recognize the blessing and give thanks for it, we focus on what we do not have or what is wrong in our lives. We need to keep on praying for the gift to see as Jesus sees.. Jesus saw the working of God in creation, in the sower, the vineyard, the flowers of the field and birds of the air. He saw God’s presence in those whom the world and many people had written off. Jesus teaches us to see with generous and hopeful eyes. When we see in this way, then, in the words of Paul, we will be inspired to give thanks in all circumstances.
‘’O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts.’’
-PadreCharlesLwanga-
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