In today’s Gospel we hear about the incredible miracle of the man who is unable to walk being healed by Jesus. I think we all long for Jesus to tell us not only that our sins are forgiven, but to rise and walk. As beautiful as this story is, I want to focus on just one line that I think easily gets overlooked.
When Jesus forgives this man’s sins, the Pharisees immediately start thinking to themselves how Jesus has blasphemed. The text is very clear that Jesus already knows what they are thinking but he then says, “What are you thinking in your hearts”? Of course, Jesus being God, already knows what is happening in their hearts, but he wants them to confront it. He wants them to look deep into their hearts, the very center of who they are, and confront the judgment they are giving.
This is not the only place in the Gospels that something like this happens. Jesus is constantly calling people to look at their own hearts. Not for lack of power on his part or to gain some sort of knowledge he doesn’t know, but so that we as human beings could become intimately aware of what is going on in our hearts. The heart is really important to Jesus.
I have heard many people ask why we pray at all if Jesus already knows what we are thinking? Or why do we confess our sins if Jesus already knows what we did? Of course Jesus knows, but he doesn’t just want knowledge of what you have done or what you need, he wants to enter into your heart. He wants to break into the deepest core of your being with his life and love. He can’t do that with just knowledge. We have to let him in. And we can’t do that unless we really look into our hearts.
Think about a couple on a first date. They may have knowledge of each other that they were able to find online or through mutual friends, but it isn’t until they sit down and share their hearts that a true relationship forms. Knowledge is not enough. God wants more. God wants you. This Advent season is the perfect time for us to enter into our hearts and allow the Lord in. And as a good priest friend of mine once said, “If you are going into your heart, don’t go alone. It can be a scary place, but Jesus wants to walk through it with you and heal you from within.”
From all of us here at Diocesan, God bless!
En el Evangelio de hoy escuchamos el increíble milagro de cuando Jesús sana al hombre que no puede caminar. Creo que todos anhelamos que Jesús nos diga no solo que nuestros pecados sean perdonados, sino que nos levantemos y caminemos. A pesar de lo hermosa que es esta historia, quiero centrarme en una sola línea que creo que fácilmente se pasa por alto.
Cuando Jesús perdona los pecados de este hombre, los fariseos inmediatamente comienzan a pensar por dentro que Jesús ha blasfemado. El texto es muy claro que Jesús ya sabe lo que están pensando, pero luego dice: “¿Qué están pensando?” Por supuesto, Jesús es Dios y ya sabe lo que está pasando en sus corazones, pero quiere que lo enfrenten. Quiere que miren por dentro de sus corazones profundamente, en el centro mismo de lo que son, y confronten el juicio que están dando.
Este no es el único lugar en los Evangelios donde sucede algo así. Jesús llama constantemente a las personas a mirar por dentro de sus corazones. No por falta de poder Suyo o para obtener algún tipo de conocimiento que no tiene, sino para que nosotros, como seres humanos, podamos ser íntimamente conscientes de lo que está pasando dentro de nuestros corazones. El corazón es muy importante para Jesús.
He escuchado a muchas personas preguntar ¿por qué oramos si Jesús ya sabe lo que estamos pensando? O ¿por qué confesamos nuestros pecados si Jesús ya sabe lo que hicimos? Por supuesto Jesús ya lo sabe, pero no solo quiere saber lo que has hecho o lo que necesitas, quiere adentrar tu corazón. Quiere entrar en lo más profundo de tu ser con Su vida y Su amor. No puede hacer eso con tan solo el conocimiento. Tenemos que permitirlo entrar. Y no podemos hacer eso a menos de que realmente miremos dentro de nuestros corazones.
Piensa en una pareja en una primera cita. Es posible que tenga conocimiento el uno del otro por lo que pudieron encontrar en línea o a través de amigos en común, pero no es hasta que se sientan y comparten sus corazones que se forma una verdadera relación. El conocimiento no es suficiente. Dios quiere más. Dios te quiere. Esta temporada de Adviento es el momento perfecto para que entremos en nuestros corazones y dejemos entrar al Señor. Y como dijo una vez un sacerdote que es buen amigo mío: “Si vas a entrar en tu corazón, no vayas solo. Puede ser un lugar aterrador, pero Jesús quiere caminar contigo y sanarte desde adentro”.
De parte de todos nosotros aquí en Diocesan, ¡Dios los bendiga!
Tommy Shultz is a Business Development Representative for Diocesan. In this role he is committed to bringing the best software to dioceses and parishes while helping them evangelize on the digital continent. Tommy has worked in various diocese and parish roles since his graduation from Franciscan University with a Theology degree. He hopes to use his skills in evangelization, marketing, and communications, to serve the Church and bring the Good News to all. His favorite quote comes from St. John Paul II, who said, “A person is an entity of a sort to which the only proper and adequate way to relate is love.”
Feature Image Credit: Khadeeja Yasser, unsplash.com/photos/FHT0KEOwtyg
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