The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan?”
Do people appreciate the good you have done? How does the crowd around you react when you do good work?
We just heard how the Scribes reacted to Jesus’s miracle of healing the blind and mute men. Do people like to be valued and appreciated?
We all would like to be valued and appreciated. Feeling valued and appreciated are basic human needs.
At various times in our lives, we may have said these words ourselves, or someone else may have told us,
“Your haircut looks great.”
“Your speech was so moving.”
“Father, your homily today was awesome.”
“I can’t tell you how great it was to talk last week when I was upset.”
Most of us want to feel like the people around us value our efforts, thoughts, and opinions. Appreciation from others is often what validates and motivates us, giving us positive feedback that can improve our self-esteem and our relationships.
But what do we do if we feel like we’re unappreciated by others?
Feeling unappreciated can affect your self-esteem and create conflict in your relationship.
Jesus’s healing in today’s gospel was unacknowledged. Those in pastoral ministries know you can’t please everyone. There are decisions that will make someone happy and offend others. Some days the same homily will make someone happy, and critics would say, “Fr. you did not mention ……” Different groups interpret the same action in different ways.
The gospel stories remind us that God’s plan for salvation couldn’t please everyone. What should we do then?
The gospel of Jesus must be proclaimed, and the Father’s work must continue.
Have a wonderful Week
