Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching…(From Mark 1:21-28)
Are we still astonished at the teaching of Jesus? Are we still inspired when we hear of his commands to love our enemies and to forgive those who have wronged us? Do we hear and act on his call to serve the hungry, the thirsty, the refugee, the imprisoned, the homeless, the naked, and the stranger? Are we still awestruck as the people of Galilee were when we hear Jesus tell us to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile, to turn over our tunic and cloak, to humble ourself, to seek the lower place instead of the seat of honor, and to spread the good news of his life/death/resurrection? If we’re not astonished by and then acting on his words, either we’ve become spiritually numb to them or we’re turning our back on him, so let us be astonished once again and let us unleash the power of the Holy Spirit that we received in Baptism so that we might change the world with love! Amen!