The gospel for Tuesday of the 22nd week in ordinary time is taken from Luke 4:31st to the 37th verse. Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee. He taught them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue. There was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out in a loud voice, what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God. Jesus rebuked him and said, be quiet, come out of him. Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, what is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out.

And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region. We see Jesus ministry evolving. Now he’s using a sign to prove who he was. But the interesting thing about this sign, it came from evil. And Jesus did not want people to know yet that he was the Son of God. But he does prove his authority by simply drawing that evil out of that person.

That’s the symbol that is so important about Jesus ministry. He’s come to overpower the power of the evil one. Please reflect for a few moments on the wisdom of these gospels, and then I will close with a prayer. Closing prayer Father, we know the tug and the pull of that which draws us into darkness. Help us to always turn to you and know that you are longing to awaken us. Fill us with the Holy Spirit, the light and life that is our inheritance.

And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.