Gospel Reading: Mk 3:22-30
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said [of Jesus], “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” Summoning them, [Jesus] began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
HOW CAN SATAN DRIVE OUT SATAN?
The scribes accuse Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, from whom they think Jesus derives his power to cast out demons. They obviously contradict themselves: how can Satan drive out Satan? Satan would not fight against himself. Blinded by their unbelief, the scribes cannot accept that Jesus has power over unclean spirits, one of whom confessed that Jesus is “the Holy One of God” (cf Mk 1:24). Therefore, Jesus is not one of them.
Jesus gives a counter image: robbing a strong man. The only way to plunder a powerful person is for someone stronger to tie him up. Jesus speaks indirectly about his own person and activity—he is not an agent of Satan but the stronger one who can tie Satan up.
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The Father “delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col 1:13).
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord,” ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.