Conquering Hearts
Have you ever asked yourself why Jesus didn’t really change anything about the physical world while he was here on earth?
He didn’t end world hunger, he didn’t end all war, he didn’t end homelessness, he seemingly didn’t end anything tangible. On Easter Sunday, when Jesus rose from the dead, in a way, everything changed and nothing changed. Everyone who was in charge was still in charge. The rich were still the rich, the poor were still the poor.
But in dying he destroyed death and in rising he opened the door to life. Now, we can’t exactly see any of that but that reality changes things doesn’t it? It at least can and should impact our day to day life.
It’s also what the disciples thought was going to happen. When Jesus said he was going to suffer, die, and rise again, Peter rebuked him. And the mother of James and John asked Jesus to have her son’s sit at his right and left hand when he entered the Kingdom. They obviously thought Jesus was going to change something significant on this side of heaven.
But he didn’t. And that’s significant.
Jesus didn’t come as a King to conquer earthly kingdoms. He came to conquer hearts and restore humanity back to what they were intended for.
When he preached, he preached to conquer hearts. When he healed, he healed to conquer hearts. When challenged, he challenged to conquer hearts.
Jesus came for hearts. Your heart. My heart. The heart of every single person on earth. And he wants to restore each of us to who we were made to be.
And that’s what he bluntly declares this weekend.
So ask yourself as you go to Mass this weekend, how close is your heart to God? Ask him to reveal the answer to you. Ask him to help you remove external distractions so that you can truly assess the state of your heart.
Who you are on the inside is what helps you make and do everything in your life. So, if your heart is gripped by lust, envy, malice, greed, deceit, arrogance, or folly, then isn’t it time your best energy into changing that?
Jesus thinks so.
And so do I.
