How many of you get tired of hearing the same old TV commercials week after week? As soon as one begins, we either flip to another channel or turn off our brains for duration of the thirty-second commercial. There is no way that the commercial is going to prompt us to take action and buy the product being presented. After being bombarded by commercials present on our TV’s or on our phones, we develop a kind of “mental numbness” regarding the spoken word.
Sadly, this same “mental numbness” has carried over to our faith lives. Week after week we go to Church, try to tune in to the priest’s 10-minute homily, put in our time at Mass, and leave no different than when we entered the church doors.
Jesus reminds us that going to church and listening to the Bible readings is of little value if we don’t act on what we’ve heard (Luke 8:19-21).
“The mother of Jesus and brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and wish to see you.’”
Now there was no one as important to Jesus as his mother. If there was any reason to take a break from his teaching, none would have been more important than that of talking to his mother. And yet Jesus seemed to ignore his mother and brothers and continue talking to the crowd.
“He said to them in reply, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.’”
How many people were in the crowd that day? Fifty or sixty? These people were clearly taking time from their busy schedules to listen to Jesus preach. They were hearing God’s word. We wonder, however, how many of these acted on what they heard. How many of the crowd left Jesus that day as changed persons forever? How many decided to follow him? Those who acted of God’s Word were more value to Jesus than even his mother and brothers.
Most of us are part of “the crowd” who went to church last Sunday. We all made some attempt to listen to God’s Word. The question Jesus raises today is how did our experience Sunday change us? Have we acted on the Word and made serious changes in our lives, or did we forget about what happened as soon as we walked into the parking lot?
Religious routine and regular Sunday observation are good as long as they continue to spur us to action. If we have fallen victim to “mental numbness” then now is the moment to turn things around. How is Jesus calling us to act on what he heard?
The crowd who listened to Jesus were no doubt inspired, and we hope that many chose to act on his Word. Let us remember that the same Jesus who spoke to this group was present in an even more intense way last Sunday at Mass. It was the preacher Jesus who proclaimed God’s Word; it was the priest Jesus who stood at the altar making sacrifice to God. Jesus, present in the Eucharist, is even “more present” to us than Jesus speaking to the crowds in Galilee. We have taken Jesus into our bodies, literally, expecting him to change us and empower us to leave church so filled with Jesus that we are more important to him than his mother and his brothers.
Jesus speaks to us today. His Word is powerful and spurs us to change. Can we ask him to free us from our “mental numbness” and open us to be so moved by his Word that we are impelled to act on it. This means we need to courage to leave our comfort zones, step away from the crowd, and follow Jesus.
Come Holy Spirit awaken us to God’s “now” voice in our lives and say “yes” to it, no matter the cost.
