VII.
As we started our reflections on this passage, I asked –

“How is it possible for two groups (or two persons) to see the same thing, and yet be in such disagreement about what has happened right in front of them?”

Some of the Pharisees saw this as evidence of the demons while Jesus claims it is evidence that the “kingdom of God has come upon you.”

What helps or hinders us from noticing the presence of God’s Kingdom in our lives?

VIII.
Matthew 12:22-32 (NRSVue)

Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. All the crowds were amazed and were saying, “Can this be the Son of David?”

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this man casts out the demons.”

He knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how, then, will his kingdom stand? If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

IX.
Notice the crowds were “amazed” and asked a question, “Can this be the Son of David?” The Pharisees asked no questions and apparently had the matter already settled with an answer in hand.

I wonder how open I am to be amazed at what might be right in front of me?

How open do I ask questions that might take me beyond my fixed and comfortable patterns of seeing things around me?

Or for that matter how often might I ask if I am drawn closer to God by something that is happening around me?

How about us making a conscious decision to open ourselves to noticing when we are awed or amazed by things put right in front of us? Maybe the Holy Spirit is trying to get our attention.

Want to give that a try today? And tomorrow? And ….

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}