Have you ever become immune to a TV series? I have. Some shows that, at first I enjoyed, now bore me. It is a challenge for TV producers to hold an audience for as many weeks as he can, because they know that we humans get tired of seeing the same characters and the same type of plots over and over. Our minds have a way of becoming immune to something that no longer “tickles” our imaginations.
When we allow ourselves to become immunized to the things of God, we get ourselves into big trouble.Our salvation is at stake!
Jesus spoke to people who had become immune to his words. He limited most of his work to a few towns in the Galilee area. We would think that towns were transformed by the presence of Jesus—the most “lit up” town on the face of the earth. The opposite, however, was true, and Jesus did not mince words in addressing the issue (Matthew 11:20-24).
“Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.”
When Jesus first walked into the towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida, people sat up and took notice. Then, we can imagine, that on the second, third, and fourth visits, the people were no longer stirred. Can we hear someone say, ‘”Oh I heard him before; I’m not interested in going out to one of his healing services again.” Or “He healed me last time; there’s no point to me going out again.” Had Jesus become just a form of religious entertainment or a way to get free medical help? Why did he work mighty deeds? To cater to people’s self-centeredness? He did so to stir them to repent. He wanted to wake them up to the new move of God upon the earth. Sadly they became immune to his word, and sank back into the comfort ruts that they had been used to.
Then he turned to the town where he had sat up his headquarters. We would expect that town to be on fire for Jesus. It seems that they too had become immune to the living words of God’s own Son.
“And as for you Capernaum: ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’ For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Wow! Jesus compared them to the most sinful town that ever existed. Why were they worse? Because they had daily exposure to the Light of the World, the Messiah of Israel, the Son of the living God, and it had little lasting effect on them. Sodom, as sinful as it was, did not have Jesus spend time with them.
I’m sure Jesus didn’t win a popularity contest that day. Those who prided themselves in housing the headquarters of the new “wonder worker” but who refused to repent must have been offended—and rightly so. I wonder if these words of Jesus roused them to make changes in their lives?
Pope Francis keeps reminding us to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives. He says that one thing the Holy Spirit does is to upset us. Because we humans have a way of becoming complacent and even immune to God’s Word, we need a prophetic word to shake us up. Sometimes this prophetic word comes from the pulpit at Mass or through reading the Bible. Other times it comes through life events. God will do anything to wake us up to his living invitation to follow Jesus. This is a life or death matter. The world works hard to immunize us to the living person of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. It trains us to view Jesus as a form of “religious entertainment” that we tune into now and then to make us feel better.
God has a much bigger vision for each of us than the limited one the world offers. He has chosen us to be his sons and daughters and given each of us a mission that will transform the world. He has filled us with his Holy Spirit so we can do the things Jesus did and speak his word in power. We pray daily that we be “de-immunized” from our tendency to grow so used to the things of God that we become lukewarm—no longer moved by his action in our lives.
Remember when Paul told “Bishop” Timothy to “stir into flame” the gift of the Holy Spirit within him? When we sense our zeal for Jesus begin to slacken, we pray with all earnestness that the flame of the Holy Spirit be stirred anew in us.\
“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Ps 95:8).
