20240903 TEACHING AUTHORITATIVELY IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT
03 September 2024, Tuesday, 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
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.
Responsorial 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 Acclamation | Heb4:12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and active:
it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
Or: | Lk7:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people.
Alleluia!
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.
TEACHING AUTHORITATIVELY IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 CORINTHIANS 2:10-16; LUKE 4:31-37]
Why is it that many people cannot accept the Catholic Faith in spite of our intelligible explanations of why Christ is the Son of God and that the Church was founded by Him? We can explain all the doctrines and moral teachings of the Church, and many would reject our claims. Even many of our Catholics cannot accept certain aspects of the Church’s teaching on morals and doctrines. They would just disregard what they disagree with in their faith life. This is true even when sharing religious experiences. They are sceptical about the testimonies of God-encounters, healing miracles and radical spiritual experiences.
When people cannot accept what we teach and share about our faith and religious experiences, understandably, they are disinterested observers. Quite a number are “outstanding Catholics” because they do not even enter the church to participate in the service. A faith encounter requires docility, openness and receptivity. It entails that we are willing to take the risk of believing and then later on to verify what we believe after the experience. When we look at something from outside, we cannot enter into the experience of those who are open to God in a relationship. This is what St Paul is trying to explain in today’s first reading. “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.”
In any human relationship, especially when a person falls in love with another person, such experiences and relationships cannot be understood logically. Why do I love this person is not a question that can be explained in a logical manner? Reason cannot explain why we love a person. It is a matter of the heart. It is not just about reason but about experiencing the entire person – the mind, heart, soul, emotions and will. Love demands a total giving and receiving of the entire person, both for the recipient and the giver.
Likewise, in a chosen vocation or hobby. There are many things in life that cannot be explained logically or in financial terms. Matters of the heart, taste, aesthetics and passion are not logical. Fulfilling one’s passion might not be profitable monetarily. Service to people and nation might not pay well. Being a priest or religious demands hard work, self-sacrifice and generosity. Still, people choose to follow their heart instead of following the cold reasoning of the world and society. Some have chosen love over career, glory and position in life.
So too, in our relationship with God. St Paul writes, “The Spirit reaches the depths of everything, even the depths of God. After all, the depths of a man, and in the same way the depths of God can only be known by the Spirit of God.” Without the heart of God and the mind of God, we cannot understand His nature, His identity, and His divine plan for us. Unless we enter the mind and heart of a person, we cannot see from his or her perspective. This is so true in counselling, when the patient seeks empathy. A good counsellor is one who can get under the skin of the counselee to feel with him or her.
Therefore, to understand the things of God we need to acquire His Spirit. “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. Hence, 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.” When we have God’s Spirit, we have the same mind and heart of Christ. We see life from His perspective and enter into His Spirit, sharing His love for His Father and us.
This explains why St Paul wrote, “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.” Experiences in life determine how we look at life. We cannot argue with someone over an experience just as we cannot reason with a person why he is in love with someone. What’s more when it is an experience of God and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. “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.” Of course, it does not mean to say that we must accept anyone who claims that God is speaking to him or her. We have guidelines for discernment of the spirits. Still, in the final analysis, when something or an experience is morally right, we just have to give the person the benefit of the doubt.
Jesus in the gospel demonstrated the power of the Spirit. He was just baptised in the Spirit and He was led by the Spirit into the desert to score His first victory over the Devil’s temptations. (cf Mt 4:1-11) He was anointed by the Spirit when He began His ministry, citing the Suffering Servant from Isaiah. (cf Lk 4:16-20) He spoke from the heart of God, from His inner conviction and experience of His Father’s love. “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.” (Jn 14:10f) He knew the nature of God and His divine plans because He was one with Him. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” (Jn 3:12f) This was what St Paul meant when he wrote, “the depths of God can only be known by the Spirit of God.”
Consequently, we can appreciate why Jesus’ “teaching made a deep impression on them because he spoke with authority.” He did not speak from His head or give a theological discourse. He was not propagating an ideology or even a philosophy. He spoke from His heart, His personal experience of God whom He called, “Abba, Father.” In fact, Jesus, unlike the Rabbis, never attended any theological school. He learnt everything from His heavenly Father. That explains why His style of preaching and teaching differed from the Rabbinic school because He taught from His own encounter with His Father’s love. His examples were concrete, personal, down to earth, from everyday life.
That Jesus completed His mission in the power of the Holy Spirit is also manifested in His sensitivity to the presence of the Evil Spirit. We read that “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.'” He could read the evil and subtle intentions of the unclean spirit in revealing His identity. So “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.” Jesus knew His identity and authority that the Father gave to Him over unclean spirits. “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.”
Today, we need to be filled with the same Spirit of Jesus, sharing His mind and heart so that we too can preach with personal authority and power to cast out evils from society. Often, we pray for deliverance and healing without faith and conviction of the Father’s love and authority. We do not have the faith of the psalmist in today’s responsorial psalm. Let us teach not just from books and study but also from our personal relationship with the Lord and our intimacy with Him. We only have to ask for the Holy Spirit and the Father will give to us. (cf Lk 11:13) Only with the Holy Spirit, can we act with and in Jesus.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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