Dcn Brigid Waszczak

They brought [Jesus] a demon-possessed man… blind and mute, and he cured him, so that [he]… could speak and see… the crowds were amazed… saying, “Can this be the Son of David?” … when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, ruler of the demons, that this man casts out the demons.” …[Jesus] knew what they were thinking and said, “…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? (Matthew 12: 22-26)

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Did you take logic in school? Learn how to build an argument? Learn about assertions, fallacies, suppositions, contradictions, and conclusions? Even without a class in logic, it is obvious the Pharisees’ assertion that Jesus performed miracles through the power of Beelzebub (a Hebrew description of Satan) makes no sense.

This healing should have been cause for celebration. A man unable to see or speak regained the ability to do both. The amazed crowd was seriously considering the possibility Jesus could be their long-awaited Messiah, the “Son of David.” 

But the Pharisees, the official investigative team of religious leaders, were on site to monitor Jesus’ actions. Even in the face of proof, they refused to consider Jesus might be the “Son of David” and attacked him in the severest terms they could muster: he was no holy man but an agent of Satan. Ah, hah! Jesus was in league with the devil himself! Oh! How they hoped to spread this idea through the people.

Jesus intuited their unspoken thoughts, pointed out the flimsiness of their argument, and dismissed their charge as illogical—why would Satan drive himself out of the man? Were that true, Satan would be divided against himself and crumble. “What nonsense!” Jesus countered. “Why would Satan cast out himself? He would not remove himself from a place he already had a stronghold.” Once again, Jesus humiliated the hapless Pharisees. 

Then, Jesus pivoted to the more logical conclusion: that miracles come only from God and he was doing God’s work.

Sometimes, like Jesus, our motives are questioned. My purposes for starting ministries have occasionally come under scrutiny. Was I working for my own aggrandizement or following God’s call? I ask myself that same question whenever an idea for ministry bubbles up within me. Does it share God’s love and light with others? Does the idea resonate within my community and fill a need? Those are the determining factors. Yes, there may be a supposition to dispel or a misjudgment to correct, but I remember this phrase: “Nevertheless she persisted.” The quote motivates me to continue, to persistently pursue ministries that radiate God’s love and are designed to help my sisters and brothers to follow God’s call themselves.

We all need to be persistent when following God’s call, no matter who questions our motives. We must be agents of love and compassion for unity, not division. Have there been times you felt the sting of misinterpretation? Mischaracterization?

Blessings,

—Dcn Brigid