Why do you think of evil in your heart

Readings: Amos 7:10-17, Ps. 19:8-11, Matthew 9:1-8

“When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.” (Matthew 9:8)

After showing Thomas his hands and side, Jesus answered, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29). Having confidence in God is a blessing. Believing in God’s ability to fix your problems provides you an advantage over others. Today’s readings include examples of both believers and nonbelievers. Where do you belong? Is there a value to maintaining our faith in the face of today’s challenges?

• Motivated by their faith, some people brought a paralyzed man to Jesus. Matthew claims that Jesus saw their faith. This indicates that our activities before or following prayer demonstrate our faith in God. A certain community suffered from drought for several years. The elders met and determined that the entire village would congregate in the market square on a specific day to pray for rain. As they prepared to begin the prayer, they observed that only one small girl had brought an umbrella. They had all come to pray for rain, but only one girl was expecting it. God sees our hearts. It makes no difference how many hours you spend in prayer; you will only receive what you expect.
• When Jesus saw the paralyzed, he replied, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” Why did Jesus forgive him for his sins first? Can we conclude that the paralytic’s condition was a punishment for his sins? Perhaps he required forgiveness before he could be released from his bodily condition. Or was Jesus simply attempting to demonstrate to those there that He had the power to pardon sin? Whatever the situation, the idea conveyed by this remark is that healing begins with reconciliation with God. Repent and let God take control of your heart, and you will experience His strength in your body.
• While the paralytic’s companions demonstrated their faith, the scribes at the gathering believed Jesus was blaspheming. For them, Jesus was a man attempting to become equal to God. These scribes dared not express their opinions, but Jesus could hear them. We can seem to have faith, but God knows when our participation in the Church is really a formality. This emphasizes the necessity of genuine faith, which validates your true ideas and deeds.
• Why were these scribes there if they didn’t believe in Jesus? Not everyone who attends Church means to worship God. Many people, like these scribes, come looking for information to use against us. Many come to sow discord, disseminate false rumors, and ultimately destroy God’s work. This is why Jesus stated that on the last day, many would come saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us, we did this and that in your name,” and He would respond, ‘I do not know you.'” (See Luke 13:25–27).
• If these scribes had any doubts about Jesus’ divinity, the fact that He could tell what was on their minds should have been enough to convince them. Jesus asked the scribes a simple question, one we should ask ourselves: “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” Why do I prefer to accommodate bad notions in my head? Why do I believe that God cannot (or is not interested in) resolving my issues? Why do I believe that my circumstances will only get worse? To underestimate God or to diminish God’s might is to harbor bad thoughts in your heart. Do not be a pessimistic Christian. God is all-powerful and all-loving, even when you don’t realize it. He hasn’t stopped being God.
• Today’s First Reading reveals another dimension of evil thought in our minds. In the time of Amos, there was a man named Amaziah who claimed to be a priest, but because he ate at the king’s table, he lacked the guts to confront power. Instead of confronting the truth, he chose to attack Amos. Do I criticize my coworkers because they are better than me? Do I wish evil on others because their virtue reveals my own darkness? Amaziah, like the scribes who followed Jesus in the hope of bringing Him down, knew the truth but chose darkness; he had sold his soul for material comfort. Ultimately, Amaziah, the priest, incurred curses for causing controversy among those who still believed in God. (See Matthew 18:6.)

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, deliver us from faithlessness, regardless of the circumstances. We pray this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the union of the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity. Amen.