Human Limitations

Today’s Gospel Text: He also said to the multitudes, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, 'A shower is coming'; and so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky; but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? 57 "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper." Luke 12:54-59

Reflection: You travel by a public transport or eaves drop on conversation between friends or colleagues and invariably the whole conversation revolves around the hot topics of the day, dished out either by the television or the daily news paper or any other sources.

Each one has an opinion about the things happening or even if not then the many may humbly submit to an opinion which they feel is right. Disagreements if any is a clear indication of the individuality and the ability to have an opinion differing from the other.

To have an opinion about things is a perspective and however right or convinced one may feel in ones heart that they are perfectly right, yet they may not always be right.

In some situations the right opinions may get discarded and false one easily assimilated and adopted.

And in quite a few instances the right opinions may just elude us.

The most shocking element is that there are situations when one may even know that they don’t have a right opinion about things and yet may hold and even proclaim their opinions to others with all conviction.

Our masses like to live in deception too and would welcome indiscriminately the falsity that people offer them.  A dynamic personality has only to capture their imagination and they can use the masses to piggy back a revolution.

There are those who claim an element of neutrality or may not mind the term “fence sitters” and yet may not always be right in their decisions.   

One reason for the confidence we have about our opinions is because of our particular expertise in certain fields which we extrapolate it on to other areas of knowledge wrongly or we think that to be an expert in any field is more than enough to reach our ultimate destiny.

Jesus in today’s gospel reading warns each one of us such deception in ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, help me realize the limitations of myself bereft of immortality.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Scientific Mind

Today’s Gospel Text: While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you. Luke 11:37-41

Reflection:  There are those who are scientific minded and those who are the spiritual minded. Even among the spiritual minded there are rare and few who are really spiritual minded and trust and act in a pure spiritual way in matters of health and cleanliness too.

This is so because we by our sinful nature tend to be rationalistic, even though ultimately, it is not our rationalism that keeps us alive nor were we born with a rationalistic mind so as to exist in the first place.

Why then we pride in our rationalism? I too am rational in my ways but I disdain the extent that I am because it does not help to proclaim the highest truth of life and even God’s existence, power and providence.

Though science has its value and place in life, it has its limitations too. The spiritual mind beats the law of science and the scientific mind is not able to understand it. Some who have made themselves slaves to science see the wonders and yet refuse to believe lest they may have to give up the comforts of professionalism which they hold on to.

Who would  want to believe  Jesus in what he is saying? Among those who believe, how many would from today onwards not wash their hands while eating?

Though I would still wash my hands for cleanliness sake but I strongly believe in the truth of the message of Jesus. I do so after witnessing the many miracles in the lives of so many people who have sought to clean the inside of their cup and thus keeping disease and infection far away.

There are also many who believe in this message of Jesus, but on account of certain unforeseen or unperceived blocks may hold on to the scientific for a reason and time, till the Lord. whom they trust, will cleanse them from the inside in areas of much more importance to him.  

Hence the dedicated disciples are in no way comfortable under scientific treatment and thought; they look forward to that complete trust and dependency on God’s power, which is his salvation at work in us.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be transformed by the renewal of mind, so that I may walk in your good, perfect and pleasing will. (cfr. Rom. 12:2)

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Matter of the Mind

Today’s Gospel Text:  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Be-el'zebul, the prince of demons"; 16 while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Be-el'zebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Be-el'zebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; 22 but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil. 23 He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. 24 "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest; and finding none he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' 25 And when he comes he finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then he goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first." Luke 11:15-26

Reflection: This is something that is wonderful and marvelous: even though some people who are sharp enough may be able to judge what is going on in our mind but may yet not conclusively arrive at the truth with the help of the later.

Your mind is your mind and no human beings can conclusively arrive at the deep inner secrets going on in your mind unless God reveals it and you cooperate with them. 

There are times when even we are not sure of what’s going on in our mind and many a times may never really know and sometimes others may point it out to us.

Sometimes God may reveal to us what is in our mind either directly, working through our conscience spurred on by the Holy Spirit or through others, yet we have the freedom to either say no or yes to what he has to say.

He is the creator of our minds and he knows the hidden secrets and recesses of our hearts and mind. No doubt the Psalmist will pray;  “Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” Ps 139:7
 

One of the greatest truth about ourselves is our ability to deceive ourselves. We could think too high about ourselves too; many a times we do so by keeping other people as our standard for judging ourselves and thus fall short of the highest perfection.  

   

The Pharisee in the gospel was one such example; “God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.” Luke 18:11-12

But blessed is the man who is willing to let the Spirit of God do the job to handle themselves and their deceptive conscience too. He does not deceive us, . 

The Psalmist would pray thus: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Ps 139:23-24

Prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Ps 139:23-24

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us