When the demon was driven out, the dumb man began to speak. The crowds were
astonished and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees
said, “He drives away demons with the help of the prince of demons.” Jesus went
around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the
good news of the kingdom; and he cured every sickness and disease. When he saw the
crowds, he was moved with pity; for they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without
a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are
only few. Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest.”

Reflect

“Spiritual numbness.” A sincere act of faith is only made possible through a heart that can
still feel and empathize. Many people nowadays have become spiritually numb. We,
believers, may at times also fall into the trap of spiritual numbness. This happens, when we
become too concerned about ourselves and our hearts are cauterized by our adherence
to empty rituals. Today’s first reading from Hosea cautions not to turn our religious empty
practices as excuses to our lack of empathy to those in need. In today’s Gospel, the
Pharisees exhibited such spiritual numbness. Jesus drove out the demon that was making
a man dumb. Jesus liberated the man from such suffering and yet the Pharisees saw nothing
good about it but rather accused Jesus to be exorcising demons with the help of the prince of
demons. Jesus had shown the very opposite of this spiritual numbness. He saw the people,
harassed, and his heart was moved with pity. Moreover, he exhorted his disciples to pray
to the Lord of the harvest that he would send more workers to gather his harvest. What could
this imply? Jesus involves us all, his followers, to move from apathy to having hearts that
can truly empathize.

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