Compared to the hard hearts, the demons are easy for Jesus
Jan
27
Written by:
1/27/2012 10:50 PM
People are interested in demons. In part, this is probably for the same reason people are interested in angels and miracles and appearances of the Blessed Mother: they appeal to our love of the amazing, our fascination with the supernatural. Demons are part of the “special effects” of the spiritual world. We can make two errors when it comes to demons: giving them too little attention, and giving them too much. Denying the existence of demons isn’t wise. It’s like pretending terrorists don’t exist. It guarantees you won’t be on guard when you need to be. But giving them too much attention is also a bad idea, because it can distract from much more serious problems.
Jesus confronts a fair number of demons in his ministry. But he confronts far more sinners, far more many people with hardened hearts. The refrain for today’s Psalm is, “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” That is by far the bigger challenge Jesus faces. Few of us ever need to worry about demonic possession. All of us need to worry about hard hearts. Jesus exorcises dozens of demons. He preaches to thousands of hardened hearts.
Compared to the hard hearts, the demons are easy for Jesus.
In today’s gospel, Jesus commands the demon, and the demon instantly obeys. Jesus does haven’t to touch the possessed man, doesn’t have to throw holy water on him, doesn’t have to scream and shout and keep at it for hours or days. He speaks, and it is done. He commands, and the demon flees.
Sinners are not so easy. Jesus heals the sick, but some people still hate him. Jesus feeds the hungry thousands, but many open only their mouths and not their hearts.(you open your lips to receive holy communion, but your heart and soul can be closed for him). People see Jesus raise the dead, but then just go on their way, excited but unrepentant. The show was good, but their hearts are still hard. (the sermon was good but your hearts are still hard.) It doesn’t get under their skin. It doesn’t soften their hearts.
To the demon, Jesus says, “Quiet! Come out of him!”, and the demon obeys. To us, Jesus says, “Repent your sins! Feed the poor! Forgive your neighbor!”, and we say, “Yes, right, absolutely, I will definitely get around to that soon. When my schedule opens up in a few weeks. When things quiet down after the holidays...”
Demons are easy. Sinners are hard.
And so Christ gives us his body and blood, to soften our hearts. Words are not enough for us. Miracles are not enough for us.
We need more than special effects. And so Christ dies for us, sacrifices himself for us, and then gives us that sacrifice again and again at Mass. He does not compel us, as he does the demon. He implores us. He does not force us; he invites us. He does not grab us and push us and make us to obey. He says to us from this altar, “See how much I love you! Now, go forth and do the same.”
God so loved the world that His Son walked among us. God so loved the world that His Son died for us. God so loved the world that He gives us the body and blood of His Son again and again, though we do not deserve it, though we still disobey, though our words are cruel and our hearts are hard, though we go weeks without caring for the poor and months without visiting the sick and years without forgiving the one who have hurt us. God so loves the world that His Son is here today, right now, with all of us sinners. Maybe the demons are within us, which harden our hearts for Jesus.
You’d have to be a demon not to be moved by so much love.