The Spirit of God in a man

 

Welcome to my blog and peace be with you.

Tuesday 1 September 2020

The Spirit of God in a man

 

First reading

1 Corinthians 2:10-16 ·

The Spirit reaches even the depths of God

The Spirit reaches the depths of everything, even the depths of God. After all, the depths of a man can only be known by his own spirit, not by any other man, and in the same way the depths of God can only be known by the Spirit of God. Now instead of the spirit of the world, we have received the Spirit that comes from God, to teach us to understand the gifts that he has given us. Therefore we teach, not in the way in which philosophy is taught, but in the way that the Spirit teaches us: we teach spiritual things spiritually. An unspiritual person is one who does not accept anything of the Spirit of God: he sees it all as nonsense; it is beyond his understanding because it can only be understood by means of the Spirit. A spiritual man, on the other hand, is able to judge the value of everything, and his own value is not to be judged by other men. As scripture says: Who can know the mind of the Lord, so who can teach him? But we are those who have the mind of Christ.    THE WORD OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

Our inner spirit drives us. Some people have a dynamic inner spirit. Take an Olympic athlete. A dynamic spirit drives some to win a gold and stand on the podium in front of the whole world. Nothing will stop them. This dynamism does not come from outside but from within them. Others may have encouraged them. But that encouragement only set something alight in them. From then on, their inner spirit drove them. That spirit drives them, so that no sacrifice is too hard. It may drive them to plunge into cold water at four in the morning every day to swim. It will dictate what they eat and when. It will prevent them from doing things, which may be good in themselves but not in line with winning gold. They shun them, like the plague. Others have another kind of spirit – to earn money, to get fame, to get power. Everyone has a spirit that motivates them. Some are good and others are bad. These spirits are all natural, belonging to this world. Some destroy us while others build us up.

Jesus gives another kind of spirit. It is the Spirit of God. The Spirit is a Person. He sets us on fire with the truth about life and creation. The Spirit of God teaches us to see the world and life as God sees it, to be zealous for the things that God is zealous for. He gives us the energy and dynamism to strive for the work of God. The reward is the approval of God. “Well done good and faithful servant” – by God, before the whole world.

The Spirit comes to us in Baptism, Confirmation, the Holy Eucharist. We need to welcome him and accept his encouragement. Then he will enliven us with the life of God. Such people are different from everyone else, just as victorious Olympic athletes are different. They live and work with the dynamism of God. The difference between them and others is like the difference between an Olympic athlete and a ‘couch potato.’ Which one are you like?

 Psalm

Psalm 144(145):8-14

The Lord is just in all his ways.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

How good is the Lord to all,

compassionate to all his creatures.

The Lord is just in all his ways.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign

and declare your might, O God,

to make known to men your mighty deeds

and the glorious splendour of your reign.

The Lord is just in all his ways.

Yours is an everlasting kingdom;

your rule lasts from age to age.

The Lord is faithful in all his words

and loving in all his deeds.

The Lord supports all who fall

and raises all who are bowed down.

The Lord is just in all his ways.

 

 

 

Gospel

Luke 4:31-37

'I know who you are: the Holy One of God'

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because he spoke with authority.

In the synagogue, there was a man who was possessed by the spirit of an unclean devil, and it shouted at the top of its voice, ‘Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man down in front of everyone, went out of him without hurting him at all. Astonishment seized them and they were all saying to one another, ‘What teaching! He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.’ And reports of him went all through the surrounding countryside. THE  GOSPEL OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflecctio

 Jesus has now begun his mission filled with the Holy Spirit (4:1) and he begins to fulfil in deeds the prophecy of Isaiah which he proclaimed in Nazareth. Filled with the Spirit of God, he preaches with the authority of God. It is as if God is speaking – God is speaking though the people do not know yet. In as far as we are filled with the Spirit of God, we speak with the authority of God. God speaks through us.

As Jesus preaches the man ‘with the spirit of an unclean devil’ comes into the synagogue. He is the opposite of Jesus who filled with the Spirit of the Holy God.

The devil is helpless before Jesus. People may not recognise Jesus, but this unclean devil does. Jesus orders him with a word to keep silent and leave the man. The devil has no other option but to leave. As it goes it throws the man onto the ground, but cannot do any harm to him now that Jesus is his shield.

The devil is as active today as he was then. His tactics differ according to the times and situations, but his aim is always the same. God and everything God loves is the object of his hatred. Hence, since he cannot destroy God directly, he strives to destroy human beings since they are precious to God. We should be ready for his attacks.

But with Jesus as our Friend, Satan can do nothing to us