“Surrendering ourselves to the Truth and falling to our knees and saying, ‘Lord, I believe in You!'”

(Based on 2 Kgs 5:1-15 ab and Lk 4:24-30 – Monday of the 3rd Week of Lent)

He was brilliant.

A scholar.
A man of reason.
He had built his entire life around logic and intellect…
… dismissing faith as nothing more than outdated superstition.

Whenever someone spoke about God, he would scoff…
… armed with arguments to tear their beliefs apart.

He was certain – absolutely certain – that Christianity was a fairy tale for the weak-minded.

But then, something began to happen.

Truth – relentless, unshakable truth – kept pressing in.

He found himself surrounded by great minds – writers, philosophers, professors – many of whom were deeply convinced of God’s existence.

This phenomenon baffled him: ‘How could such intelligent people believe in something he had always dismissed?’

And then, there was the person of Jesus.
The Gospels.

The undeniable weight of His words.
The historical reality of His life, death, and resurrection.

He resisted the naked Truth standing before him!

He fought and argued with himself.

Accepting this truth meant surrender.

It meant admitting he was wrong.
And that terrified him.

But the Truth would not let go.

One night, alone in his room, he felt it closing in, undeniable, inescapable.
And finally, he broke.

He later wrote: “I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed…
… describing himself as “the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England”
… and admitted that he fought against faith until he could no longer deny the truth.

That man was C.S. Lewis.

(C.S. Lewis was one of the greatest minds of the 20th century – a brilliant Oxford professor, a master of logic – and a man whose writings would inspire millions in the defence of the Church)

Lewis would later write:
“The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.”

Yes, Truth doesn’t change to fit our pride…
… our pride must bow to the truth.”

Rejecting God doesn’t make Him less real…
… it just makes it harder for us to see!

A proud mind rejects the plans and workings of God in one’s life, and makes one to say:

“I can manage my life by myself!”
“I know what’s best for me! None need to teach me!”

How often do we do the same?

When God speaks to us and when He calls us beyond our comfort zones, do we resist?

The Gospel of the Day presents the rejection of Jesus, in the Synagogue at Nazareth, by the people, who displayed a proud mentality, a haughty spirit and an arrogant heart.

Jesus, is in His hometown.

He entered the synagogue and began to teach.

Though initially, there was a wave of excitement…
… the words of Jesus caused a major setback to the people.

This caused the people to reject Jesus…
… they even try to kill Him (Lk 4:29-30)

St Luke uses a very strong word to describe the feelings of the people…
“When the people in the synagogue heard, they were all ‘filled with fury'”

Or another translation… “… they were all ‘filled with wrath'”

When one’s pride is hurt…
…. One tends to become angry and hurt

When one is made to get out of one’s comfort zones…
… one tends to become restless and agitated.

This is what happened to the people in the Synagogue.

Their pride was hurt..
… because Jesus spoke to them on the need to be humble, and accept the “all-embracing” love of the Lord!

They were made to get out of the comfortable zones…
… because Jesus spoke to them on the need to change their closed ways of thought-pattern, and to accept the “all-merciful” invitation to the Kingdom of God!

This “instigation” can happen in our life too…

When we are challenged to move out of our “traditional” style of thinking…
…. and accept instead, the merciful and compassionate ways of God

When we are forced to change our crippling attitudes of rejecting people on the basis of caste, creed, colour, language etc…
… and accept instead, the “all-welcoming” style of the Kingdom of God

Human tendency it is, to sometimes “get used to” comfortable situations…
… even if they are fruitless or unproductive and useless

In 2 Kings 5:1-15, Naaman’s initial pride and resistance to Elisha’s simple solution reflects the human tendency…
… to “resist change and to move out of the comfort zone!”

The Lord today, invites and challenges us in our proud mentality, a haughty spirit and an arrogant heart.

There is a constant invitation by Jesus:
“Learn from Me… for I am gentle and humble in heart”

God’s truth will always challenge us.

The only question is: when it stands before us, will we fight it?
… or can we fall to our knees and say, “Lord, I believe in You!”

Let us learn from the Gentle and Humble ways of the Lord, and become persons, who are open to the workings of the Holy Spirit.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments – The Fourth Commandment

God has willed that, after him, we should honor our parents…
… to whom we owe life and who have handed on to us the knowledge of God.

We are obliged to honor and respect all those whom God, for our good, has vested with his authority. (CCC # 2197)