“What are you thinking in your hearts?”
– Luke 5:22
As part of my pre-Canna retreat in preparation for our marriage, my wife and I took the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment to help us understand our personality preferences in our relationship. According to this psychometric test I have a preference trusting my intuition when making decisions. In other words, I often lead with my gut. While trusting my gut has mostly worked out positively, it can be frustrating to others as not all the facts are shared. My gut feeling is personal and cannot be understood by others in the moment. It is an important consideration that I trust, nonetheless.
Jesus had a contentious encounter with Pharisees after his miraculous healing of a paralyzed man who was lowered from a rooftop. At the heart of this conflict is what is “right.” The Pharisees, on the other hand, abide by the rich tradition of their faith and its stated law to guide their view. Christ, on the other hand, is self-aware and confident in his identity as the Son of God. The faith of the Pharisees is seeking the promise Christ fulfills, but their perceptions blind them from seeing that in the man in front of them. By asking what are you thinking in your hearts, Christ is challenging the Pharisees to move past the self-imposed limitations and consider the movements of their soul in that moment.
Our gut reactions are not always correct. They do, however, teach us to be still, listen, and be open to holy possibilities previously unseen.
As we prepare in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord this advent, let us be open to trust in our instincts and listen to how the spirit may be working through us in this way.
Amen.
Benjamin Horgan
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