Monday of 3rd week, uneven numbered year
“The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying ’Beelzebub is in him’ and ’It is through the prince of devils that he drives devils out.” So he called them to him and spoke to them in parables ’How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last." Alerted by their co disciples, some scribes come down from Jerusalem to see Jesus ’ miracles and to see him forgive peoples’ sins. The scribes’ diagnostic is something awful, Jesus is said to be possessed by Beelzebub the chief of all demons. What an odious accusation! Saying how Jesus ’ power over evil spirts came from Satan. Jesus answers with the small parable of the kingdom divided against itself. If the Devil, Satan , is divided he signs his own ruin. We are God’s house, one that is strongly defended. Jesus exerts his tenderness and mercy towards us. In this same loving attitude where He saves us by His presence, Jesus glorifies the Father and reconciliates us with Him. Jesus is always accomplishing God’s Work and Satan has no other arm than us, if we refuse to do God’s work. “And if a household is divided against itself, that household can never last. Now if Satan has rebelled against itself and is divided, it cannot last either- it is the end of it. But no one can make its way into a strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he has first tied up the strong man. Only then can he plunder his house.” Jesus reveals how he truly is the Saviour of mankind. The scribes are greatly mistaken when they say :’ It is by the chief of demons that he expulses the demons.’ By his mere Presence Jesus stops the ill-doings of Satan his adversary. This Satan is inoffensive for us if we resist it. If we refuse it whom we are its combat arm immediately is taken away. Light is given to us by the Living Word of God. It is given to each one of us. If the Adversary is locked up in this way how can it still do damage? Tied up for sure, but it is not very prudent to go into the perimeters of its usurpation, into the ’zone’ of its harmful action. Overcoming humanity it is not in its own home, it has ’claimed for itself’ the House of God. ’No one can go into the house of the strong man if he has not been fist of all tied up. In truth I tell you, all human sins will be forgiven, and all the blasphemies ever uttered; but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin.’ This was because they were saying ’ There is an unclean spirit in him." .Jesus concludes by saying ’Everything will be forgiven for the sons of God, sins and blasphemies. But if someone blasphemes against the Holy Spirit he will never be forgiven.’ In order to be forgiven we need to believe in the every source of forgiveness which is the Holy Spirit at work in Jesus. Moved by the Holy Spirit, Jesus is the beloved son of the Father and of Mary. The Father brings about his work in Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, he I the perfect expression of the Father who sets humanity free. We need to find in Jesus poverty and humility. As Joan of Arc said before her judges we can say too : ’If I am not in truth, may God put me there! And if I am may God keep me there!’