They cannot receive

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Acts 4:8-12 Psalm 145:1-6, 21 John 14:12-17

John 14:17  even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.

One of the most frustrating things for me is trying to deal with why people don't see what seems so obvious to me.  It seems at times that they are under some kind of a spell and are unable to see at all.  

The scripture says today that they, the world, cannot receive the Spirit.  I think that the "cannot" may be part unable to, but certainly it is part unwilling to.  If I say that I cannot ever do that, it doesn't necessarily mean that I am physically unable, but perhaps more that I am unwilling. It seems that the "world" is unwilling to receive the Spirit because they don't see him or know him.  This reminds me of a child who will not eat a certain food.  He says he hates it, yet he has never tried it before.  We are capable of this blind irrationality even in our youth.  In fact, maybe it is a sign that we haven't grown up.

Father. help me by your Holy Spirit to always be willing to accept what you have for me.  Help me not to reject something simply because I don't know it, but to follow you in faith.

Amen