Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, as we saw in yesterday’s reading, and that did not end so well, with his fellow Nazoreans running him out of town (Lk 4:29). In today’s reading, Jesus continues without looking back to teach as his Father sent him to do. As he is teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, the initial reaction to his words were similar in both accounts; the people were “amazed” and “astonished” with his  teaching. But no one in either group makes the bold statement that arises today: “I know who you are – the Holy One of God” (Lk 4:34)! This phrase was professed by a demon in attempting to taunt Jesus.

From the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry opposition was present. In Nazareth, the fallen nature of our humanity reared its head. The people he grew up with were unwilling to see beyond the ordinary Jesus they always knew. Wasn’t he just the son of Joseph, just the carpenter? Jesus was safe when he merely worked a quiet life, participated in the life of the synagogue, even when he returned from surrounding territories amidst words of praise, and even stepping up to read in the synagogue from the words of Elijah: he was the hometown boy making good.

But once Jesus began to equate himself in the line of the prophets and share how God was working beyond the people of Israel, with his accounts of Elijah going to the Gentile widow, and Naaman, another Gentile, going to Elisha, highlighting that God worked beyond the people of Israel, even his own had enough. Jesus had to go (Lk 4:29).

In today’s account, another source of opposition is the taunting demon. Jesus rebuked the demon immediately and called him out of the man. Jesus faced time and again the fallen nature of humanity, disbelief, lack of faith, as well as the opposition of demons, and soon the failure of religious and civic leadership. Sound familiar?

Where do we find our self in the scenes of Jesus’ ministry and teaching, in our own time today? Following Jesus is a day-to-day commitment and we must be willing to face the same challenges that he and his disciples did. In doing so, we will also encounter our weaknesses, woundedness, and our own shortcomings. As long as we are honest with them and bring them into the light of Jesus, he will strengthen and help us to conform our lives to the will of his Father.

Having the humility to confront the darkness and sin within ourselves, we don’t have to worry about expending energy in defending and rationalizing where we fall short of the glory of God. Healing happens and our intimacy with Jesus grows, as we are willing to repent, to turn away from our sin and back to God who is the source of our life.

It is important to resist dismissing Jesus’ encounter with the demon in today’s Gospel too quickly. Demons do exist and play a role in the principalities and powers that influence us and our world. We ignore this reality to our own peril, for they will tempt and subtly attack us at our weakest and most vulnerable points. This is not a cause for anxiety and fear. The weakest Christian is stronger than the devil but we must be aware and vigilant. When faced with temptation by Satan or his demons, a simple prayer of renunciation, such as, “In the full authority of Jesus I renounce this temptation, name it.” By calling on the name of Jesus in the authority he has given to us by our baptism, the father of lies and those of the dark will flee from the radiant light of Christ. This is why it is so important to regularly examine our conscience, to be aware of, and to confess our sin. In doing so, we will be free from their corrosion, otherwise, they can and will be used against us.

The closer we grow in our relationship with Jesus, the more we experience his light and the more of our own sin we will see. This is not a cause to fear the light and love of Jesus, to run and hide, but to humbly embrace the truth so that our healing will be possible. As we are freed from our own darkness within, we will see more clearly the dark influences that have tempted us, and be better able to resist them going forward.

Let us reject feeding our own selfishness, embracing our own pride, and turning away from the protective covering of God’s love, but instead, place our faith in Jesus today and each day, spend time meditating upon and praying with his word, examine our conscience, and be willing to be led by him to serve one another, speak up for one another, and stand strong against the temptations and darkness of our fallen world.

When we fall short and fail, as we all will, as did the apostles, we need to follow, not Judas, but Peter: repent, confess our love for Jesus, and begin again. Together, with God our Father and the love of the Holy Spirit, may we not condemn but hold one another accountable, support, and lift one another up in love. Jesus is at our right hand so that even when we find ourselves in our darkest moments, we can turn to and trust in Jesus and his light will reveal to us the way.

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Photo: Rosary walk, storm clouds gathering, but the light is not overcome but the darkness.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, September 3, 2024