A spectacle is more of an appeal to the senses and emotions

A spectacle is more of an appeal to the senses and emotions

Luke 11:14-23. By the power of demons, he drives out demons

Jesus is accused that the reason He is able to drive out demons is because He calls on the power of other demons. I find myself pondering – suppose that a false messiah performs the same miracles and exorcisms that Jesus did. How do we know that he is false?

Drawing insight from the earlier gospels, Jesus does not necessarily seek crowds and even told those He healed to not spread the word about His miracles. Rather, it is the crowds that follow Him and spread His stories despite His objection. In this sense, wouldn’t a trickster or illusionist choose the most spectacular venue to draw the attention of others and encourage others to blindly follow him?

When we follow someone, is it because of charisma? The challenge with charisma is that it could be projected and manufactured, and it is mostly about appealing to the senses too through positive feelings. We follow someone who thinks, feels, and leads by example, not by spectacle.

A mainstay follower of Jesus wouldn’t claim that He drives demons out because He uses demons. That would be inconsistent, because Jesus would actively heal others regardless of crowds. Those who have observed this previously would realize that He is the real deal; the embodiment of virtue, a consistency of good habits regardless of conditions.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 83: MARCH 24, 2022]