In the Gospels, Jesus constantly shatters people’s expectations of who they think he is. Hunter D’Armond, SJ, reflects on how Jesus shatters our own expectations in this week’s One-Minute Homily. Based on the readings for Sunday, January 31, 2021.
Let’s face it: we often like things to be in our control.
Hi, I’m Hunter D’Armond and this is my One-Minute Reflection.
When I was in high school and began to think more critically about my faith, I found that I really liked what Jesus taught, but I had a more difficult time in believing who Jesus was. To me, Jesus was an expert moral teacher, and not much more.
But today’s gospel isn’t about what Jesus teaches, but how Jesus teaches: with authority. The scribes were astonished at whatever Jesus was teaching because it was unlike everything they’ve ever heard. The power, force, and authenticity of Jesus’s word hit them different.
In other words, Jesus shattered their expectations of who they thought he was. So too should Jesus constantly be shattering our own expectations of who we think he is, because Jesus is not ours to control. We cannot domesticate Jesus nor his words, because his authority is more than that of an expert moral teacher. He is the Word of God.