Sometimes our most deeply held religious opinions contradict spiritual reality. Look at the Pharisees who were so outraged by Jesus they thought He was possessed by a demon:
The Jews said to him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, “He is our God”, though you do not know him. But I know him; if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.’ (John 8:53-58).
The Pharisees knew exactly what Jesus meant; He was telling them, “I am God”. So, they tried to stone Jesus to death for claiming to be God because they believed He had committed an act of blasphemy. The Pharisees did not recognize God in their midst. When we really are set in our own religious opinions, Christ must symbolically knock us off our horse like Saint Paul before we can see the truth. As Pope Francis once said at an Easter Vigil, God delights in shaking us up. Just when we think we have Him all figured out, He pulls another fast one on us.