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| “Be quiet! Come out of him.” |
When was the last time you were truly amazed and astonished? Were you at a magic show? Were you watching some great feat of athletic skill? Were you reading a good book that touched something deep inside you? Did you witness a real miracle?
We are all amazed and astonished at different times in our lives and for different reasons. Just last night my youngest son was amazed and astonished to see this strange creature we call a Praying Mantis crawling over the playground equipment.
In today’s Gospel the hearers of Jesus are amazed and astonished at his words. They are astonished because He speaks with authority. They were amazed because His words have power, even over the demons.
One group, however, is neither amazed nor astonished by Jesus words. Rather, this group is simply obedient because they have no other choice. Having been cast out of heaven long ago, they have no free-will and must therefore obey. The demons are neither amazed nor astonished. They know who He is and are fearful.
The question for us today is, “which group are we in?” Are we amazed and astonished with each new reading of the scriptures? Or, are we indifferent, since we suppose we “know” Jesus? It would be good for us to regain some of that amazement and astonishment. Let us look at some of Jesus’ words and their effect…
James M. Hahn, Author 