What We’ve Always Wanted For any heart that believes in God, the burning desire is not simply to think about God, but to experience God. Such a heart hopes that God is near enough to be encountered, to be “seen” and “heard” in some way. When the disciples return to Jesus to report on their missionary journey they are ecstatic because they have found that “even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” They have discovered that the “name” of Jesus has a power that they can see. While not denying that, Jesus takes them to another level when he encourages them to rejoice “because your names are written in heaven.” Jesus challenged them to “see” their own nearness to God: their own names, their very persons are known by God. The good news that Jesus announces is that, for those who believe “in his name,” what they’ve always wanted has happened: in Jesus, God can be encountered, can be “seen and “heard.” “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” Do we count ourselves among the blessed? Through the gift of our baptism, our own names have been “written in heaven.” Do we cherish the fact that, as a result, we are known by God? Do we exercise faith through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us in order to “see” Jesus? Do we permit ourselves to “hear” the inspirations or movements that Holy Spirit is making in us today? We have been given what we’ve always wanted: it’s time to rejoice in the blessing! |