In his classic short story “The Portrait of Dorian Gray” Oscar Wilde grotesquely illustrates Christ’s final point in this gospel: There is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.
If you woke up with a stiff neck this morning, then today’s reflection is for you. Jacob spent the night on a pillow made of stone, but he still woke up to a whole new sense of God’s presence.
Some in the crowd now wonder if they haven’t been following a madman rather than a prophet, a healer, a miracle-worker. Just like that, his sayings HAVE proven too hard for some of his followers.
We cannot operate out of fear, but neither can we operate out of complacency. When Jesus comes back he is not going to compliment the pretty stones and monuments, the nice gated communities, the well-run businesses, and the lavish lifestyles of many of his followers.
The story of Paul’s journey through a justice system reminds us how dangerous “favors” can be.
in every nanosecond in which I am carried away by fear or anger there is the possibility of realizing that God is right there tugging on the leash, inviting me to disengage and take a breath. It’s up to me to become aware.
You probably didn’t need an invitation to take a break from politics, but today’s gospel gives us one anyway.
Clearly, even with a divine teacher, education is a two-way street. Jesus does the teaching, but we must do the learning. We are the children of God… not the robots of God. Jesus does not program us. He reveals the will of God. He embodies the love of God. And we have free will to reject or embrace these teachings.
When we get something we’ve asked for, what happens to our souls?
If there’s something that you have hoped would just go away, something you would rather not mention to God, this might be a good time to recognize it and remind yourself that every single thing about you is redeemed and loved.