Overcoming Evil

Yesterday’s Gospel reading (Matthew 9:1-8), wherein Jesus rebukes some scribes for thinking “evil in your hearts”, took me back to the aftermath of my father’s death nine years ago. He died of internal bleeding in the head following a slipping accident in his room. He was home alone, as he had been living by himself in our family house for over a year since my mom moved in with my sister and me. Our relationship with him had been strained for years, to say the least. A few weeks after we buried him my mom and eldest sister sat my elder sister and me down for a talk. They told us that there have been whisperings among some of my dad’s relatives that maybe what happened wasn’t an accident. And that perhaps my mom had a hand in it. My mom and sisters were hurt. Deeply. And, understandably, they started biting back, talking ill and bringing up old sins against these relatives. I was incredulous – I could not, and in fact refused, to believe that our own relatives, some of whom were very close to us, could and would even entertain such vile thoughts. But instead of hurt I was enveloped by sadness. Unlike my mom and my sisters, I thought that our relatives’ actions did not tell on us but rather on them – told of the darkness gnawing in their minds, hearts, and souls. That night I prayed hard. I asked for healing for my relatives and for my mom and sisters as well. I thought it was the right, the charitable, and indeed the only thing to do. I wasn't wrong. And this is what I learned. Evil can only be overcome with love.