7-Oct-16

Gospel LK 11:15-26

When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said:
“By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons.”
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”
Reflection:
Jesus was a teacher. He took every opportunity to turn the events of His day into a lesson about life.
When Jesus drove out the demon, His detractors tried to discredit Him by saying that His power came from the Devil rather than from God.
Sadly, it is often true that when people cannot dispute the good that a person is doing that they then resort to slander.
Jesus answered with a truism that cannot be denied: "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house."
If parents allow their children to divide them when it comes to discipline, the home will be in constant turmoil. Similar to the person who constantly struggles between doing good or pursuing unhealthy desires that will have a soul in constant unrest.
“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
‘I shall return to my home from which I came.'"
A story is told about a man who moved into an apartment so he could spend the year completely renovating his home. When the renovations were complete, he wasn't sure he wanted to move back into the house, so it sat empty.
Others seeing an empty house constantly inquired if it was for sale or lease. Annoyed, the man put shades and curtains on the windows and parked an old truck in the driveway. The inquiries about the house stopped.
When our soul is filled with darkness, it is not enough that we clean it; let it sit empty and something worse may move in. Once we have cleansed our soul, we must become involved in doing good.
Then our heart and mind will be filled with the joy of doing the work of God and there will be no room for darkness to enter.
"It is never to late to be who you might have been." - - George Elliot