22-Jan-18

Gospel 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, he 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."
Reflection:
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."
The "scribes" were the interpreters of the religious law. As such, they held great power over the people.
Because the people saw "the hand of God" in Jesus' miracles, the scribes were afraid of Him; they saw Jesus as a threat to their power and control over the people.
The scribes felt a need to discredit Jesus, so they accused Him of being in league with the Devil.
Like you and me, Jesus was human. I can only imagine how I would feel if I was doing good for others and was accused of having evil motives.
Rather than being intimated or angered by their accusations, Jesus summoned the scribes (gathered them around him) and answered their accusations with sound logic.
"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."
Jesus' words and wisdom still ring true....Even Abraham Lincoln used Jesus' words when speaking of the Civil War. "A house divided against itself cannot stand."
"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."
Everyone is in a daily struggle between good and evil. The Holy Spirit is constantly with us, giving us strength and drawing us away from evil toward our loving Father. Thus, we can believe Jesus' words that our failings and sinfulness "will be forgiven."
But, woe to the person that attributes the good that a person does to the Devil...for, in doing so, that person is denying the power and love of the Holy Spirit and cuts them self off from forgiveness.
"Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. Kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit and they shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth."
(Prayer to the Holy Spirit)