Click here for today’s Scripture readings.
1 Corinthians 2:10b-16
Luke 4:31-37
The irony of this passage in Luke’s gospel is that it is a demon who recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, the “Holy One of God”. His own disciples, like the people of Capernaum, are “astonished” at Jesus’ teaching, but fail to make that connection. Even when he drives the demon out of the possessed man, they are “amazed” but still seem incapable of recognizing him as Messiah. However, they do ask the question: How does he speak with such authority? “What is there about his word”?
It’s interesting to note that for “word” Luke uses the Greek “logos”– the exact same word John employs in the prologue to his gospel where he describes the divine plan: ” In the beginning was the Word (logos) – the Word was in God’s presence and the Word was God … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Jesus’ disciples and the people of Capernaum were on the right track, but they still had not received the Holy Spirit and so they did not have full knowledge of the truth. In our first reading Paul tells us there are depths of God’s nature known only to Him alone. What we know about God has been revealed to us by the Spirit and is not the result of our own wisdom. Because we received the Holy Spirit in Baptism, we are privileged to be able to acknowledge with Paul that “God greatly exalted him [Jesus] and bestowed on him the name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Phil 2:9)
We are indeed blessed to be able to profess Jesus Christ as Lord, as Messiah, as Word made flesh. This gospel teaches us there is power in Jesus’ name. There is healing in his name. There is forgiveness in his name. There is salvation in his name.
- Fr. Damian Towey, CP is a member of the community at Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center,North Palm Beach,Florida.
