Jesus and Beelzebul

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, [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.'' By the prince of demons He drives out demons.

This is the scribes' verdict on Jesus' power of exorcism. The truth, however, is just the opposite: Jesus drives out demons because he is against demons! His love for people makes him expel the demons that possess men and women. It is about loving the sinner but hating the sin. But can we really differentiate the two? Can we keep them apart? Well, Jesus does! He is able to see the victim and the victimizer. He identifies the wrong and the wronged. He holds the bedeviled and drives away the demon. There is a whole world of difference, and to be able to see the difference is to define our actions. It will put compassion in our crusades, love in our fists, and heart in our fights. 

Beginning of Jesus' Galilean ministry

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen." From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." As He was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed Him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed Him. He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. Great crowds followed Him Many people come to Jesus. 

They follow Him and listen to Him. Why? He brings a message of hope - there is hope, we can change, we can alter our attitudes and our situations. Jesus also proclaims a message of healing. We are forgiven. We can forgive. We can find meaning in our sufferings. We can share bread and kindness and live. Jesus gives us His Father. We have a loving Father who cares for us and awaits us. He knows us and is near to us. He is Father of us all. Even in a society where apathy, cynicism, and indifference reign, the message of hope, healing, and faith can still be relevant.