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Readings: 1 These. 5:1-6.9-11, Ps. 27, Luke 4:31-37
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia
IN JESUS RESIDES THE POWER TO OVERCOME EVIL FORCES
From the scriptures, Jesus seems to have lived in a world of hostility and conflict between good and evil, as well as political witch-hunting, family divisions and demonic possession, just like we have it in our world today. For there is no doubt that there is an active presence of evil in the world which manifests itself in different forms.
So every day we struggle against the malice of the evil ones, and people are doing everything they can to overcome them. But often, when children of God are confronted with evil, they don't know what to do and out of fear, they fall victim and are helpless because they are ignorant of the power and authority of God in them.
Thus, in our Gospel passage today, we heard how the people of Capernaum and even the demoniac recognised that the Divine Authority of Jesus in the world brings about victory over the evil ones. His teaching made a deep impression on them because he spoke with authority.
And the man who was possessed by the devil shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Ah! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man down in front of everyone, went out of him without hurting him at all. Astonished, they said to one another, ‘What teaching! For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out.’
Here, the demons recognise Jesus as the power of God. And his power over the demons is a direct defeat of the evil one while the restoration of the possessed man signifies the inauguration of God's kingdom in the world. Now, Jesus has given us the gift of his presence in the person of the Holy Spirit, which God has bestowed on us in our baptism. In this gift resides the power and authority to confront evil and overcome it.
Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading tells us that it is not as if we live in the dark, for that Day to overtake us like a thief. No, we are all sons of light and sons of the day: we do not belong to the night or to darkness, so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay awake and sober. For God never meant us to experience retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, alive or dead, we should still live united to him.
Dear friends, the presence of Jesus drives away every evil force. But as children of God, what is our notion about the authority and power of Jesus? Do we still have any doubt about the authority of Jesus? How much of this authority dwells in you?
How united are we in Christ? Today, the demoniac identified the source of Jesus’ authority as divine. Have we personally identified the divine authority of Jesus in our lives? If we have not, why not ask him to manifest his power and authority once more in our lives?
LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are often ignorant of the power and authority of the Holy Spirit which you gave us at our baptism, may we recognise this divine power and authority once again in our daily struggles with the evil forces in our world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.
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