November 20, 2022
Gospel – January 27, 2020 – Mark 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.”
The thing that jumps out here is the “divided house” theme. Jesus is way too clever to be caught out by the other side of “the house” Jerusalem. Their arguments can’t stand up to scrutiny. Why would Satan drive out his minions from a property “soul” they hold for him?
When he speaks of binding the strong man he is talking about binding Satan. The plunder is the souls he is freeing from Satan’s possession.
At least that’s what I heard Him say…
What I Heard Him Say 