Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 380

Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, "Why do you harbor evil thoughts?

When Moses brought damp clay tablets to be touched by the finger of God and inscribed with the Ten Commandments, he and his people probably expected the first eight. They should certainly honor the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as their only God, for there is no other. They should not use God's name in swearing, much less in ordinary conversation. They should observe the sabbath for only slaves must work seven days a week.
They should honor their aging parents, of course; and never kill, steal, commit adultery or bear false witness. Those sins obviously disrupt our human polity.
But they might have been surprised by the last two commandments, "Thou shalt not covet...." No one knows what transpires in the human head except the person and, apparently, God.
Psalm 139 ponders this mystery:

LORD, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. You sift through my travels and my rest; with all my ways you are familiar. Even before a word is on my tongue, LORD,  you know it all.

Is it any wonder that many Americans, with their ambivalent feelings about privacy, resent this God whom we worship? Combine that awareness of Divine Intrusiveness with mistaken notions about "the Old Testament God" whom we should "fear:" it's no wonder they prefer not to even think about God.
However, for those who love and trust God, Psalm 139 is pure delight. I discovered it in the early days of my adult life and despite the many anxieties and scruples I had yet to work out, I found comfort in the reflection.
In today's gospel, we're not surprised to discover Jesus "knew what they were thinking." First, he is an intelligent human being, talented with leadership skills and perceptive; he knows what's going on in people's minds. Secondly, he is the Son of God, as he says:

For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son...

With his divine authority to see human covetousness, envy, greed, lust and all other sins, Jesus knew what they were thinking, and their thoughts condemned them.
Our spiritual tradition urges us daily to examine our "thoughts, words and deeds." We cannot do this unless we have intentionally and entirely surrendered to the mercy of God. We must have the confidence of children who have found themselves -- undeservedly but necessarily -- born in a home where their foolish clumsiness and petty mischief are accepted without condemnation or violence, where discipline is clear, consistent and always benevolent.That confidence, for most of us, comes with healing. We forgive and bless with gratitude the men and women who gave us life. We turn to God as our only Father.
As the young man Saint Francis forcibly rejected the violent, rapacious god of his father, Pietro di Bernardone; he found amid the ruins of nearby church a painted cross. He saw in that Byzantine masterpiece the kindness of Jesus. His arms are extended not in suffering but in welcome. He is not hanging in passive agony but actively presents himself as an approachable friend and confidant. Francis heard the words addressed to Bartimaeus,

"Take courage; get up, he is calling you.”

Yes, he knows and understands our thoughts. He comprehends with compassion our evil thoughts as well as the good. He has suffered the same disappointment, betrayal and fear, where evil thoughts are born. By the Holy Spirit he had authority over such thoughts and set them aside; and he gives us that same Holy Spirit. With every confidence, then, we remain in his sight and welcome him to look on us.