DIET JESUS
A young lawyer was very anxious to impress potential clients. When the first visitor to his office came through the door, he immediately picked up his phone and spoke into it loudly, “I’m sorry, but my caseload is so tremendous that I’m not going to be able to look into your problem for at least a month. I’ll have to get back to you then.” He then turned to the man who had just walked in, and said, “Now, what can I do for you?” “Nothing,” replied the man. “I’m the phone man and I’m here to connect your phone.”
The man was trying to prop up his self-image and impress his visitors, only to be embarrassed by the very visitor he was trying to impress. Could something like this have happened in today’s Gospel? A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him. To have the Wonder Worker from Nazareth in your home must have been a great honor. He must have invited all his friends to impress them with his VIP guest.
To his surprise, what he anticipated to be an honor turned out to be the most embarrassing moment of his life. The words of Jesus were venomous to say the least. “You Pharisees! You cleanse the outside of cups and dishes, but within you are filled with rapaciousness. Fools…”
Guests usually flatter the host. Not with Jesus. He can really be a disconcerting guest. Invite Him and He will come to you. But be ready. When He comes to you, He will say it as it is. St. Teresa of Avila, whose feast we celebrate today, often warned that if we are never disturbed by our encounters with Jesus in prayer, it might not be Him at all but simply an imagined one. We have created a “Diet Jesus,” i.e., without the burdensome teachings. Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). He came to cast fire on the earth (Luke 12:49). But we need not be afraid. Like gold purified in the furnace, the fire of Jesus’ truth will allow the gold in us to surface. What Jesus have you invited to your home? Fr. Joel O. Jason
REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you choose from among the teachings of the Scriptures and ignore those that make you uncomfortable?
Lord Jesus, mold me and shape me. Purify me that I may become who You intended me to be. Amen.
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