If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

 

 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against  himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

 

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.   Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age of in the age to come."

 

- Matthew 12:22-32 

 

  While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land.

 

  Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against  himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."  Beelzebub is a name which ridicules an actual title for a shrine to Baal.  Baal means "lord," and temples and worship sites were built to Baal of many kinds.  Baal-zebul is an ancient Canaanite and Philistine title generally meaning "Lord of the High Place" or "Exalted Lord."  Beelzebub, however, is a name used by the Jews to ridicule this god of the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).  Its meaning is prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies."   Here, Baal is referred to as ruler of the demons.  My study Bible comments that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.  

 

 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.   Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age of in the age to come."  My study Bible explains that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit, blasphemy against pure goodness.  It says that the sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven as the Jews did not know much about Christ.  But blasphemy against the Spirit is blasphemy against divine activity which was already known from the Old Testament, and this will not be forgiven as it comes from a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  Moreover, it's important that we understand that in patristic commentary blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin" and neither does Jesus call it "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgiven if a person were to repent of it.  My study Bible concludes that Jesus makes this declaration knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and they are beyond repentance by their own choice.  

 

It's important to understand spiritual battle in terms of the demonic and the holy.  Ancient gods worshiped by pagan peoples were understood to be demons, and those locked in battle against God.  That is, the Lord, Yahweh of the Old Testament.  The mythologies of these ancient pagan gods have similar outlines, and all reflect successful rebellion of some type, of son against father.  One example we might be familiar with from Greek mythology was that of Zeus who rebelled against his father Kronos.  The same is true of the story of Baal.  But where pagan mythologies depict a successful overthrow, the story of the God of Israel is quite different.  For there, rebellion is the domain of the demons who have failed in their quest to overthrow God.   In the Gospels, we see this reflected in the power of Christ over the demons in many stories, for the demons who rebel are still engaged in battle in our world, but they focus their efforts on vulnerable human beings.  Christ who comes to save steps into the middle of the battleground as one of us.  So we need to understand today's story from the Gospel of St. Matthew with this background in mind, especially in order to understand what it means that the Pharisees claim that He casts out demons by the power of demons; indeed, by the power of "Beelzebub," lord of "the flies."  We might mention in this context a recent book by Fr. Stephen De Young, titled The Baal Book:  A Biography of the Devil (found here at Amazon.com), in which he depicts the evolution of our understanding of the devil through these myths of Baal from the ancient Near East.  The Pharisees, in their envy and resentment of Christ, call His work -- and in particular, His casting out of demons resulting in spectacular healings and signs of the Messiah -- the work of the devil, the "ruler of the demons."  They accuse Him, in effect, of sorcery.  But what He says to them is a stark warning in return:  they are blaspheming the work of God, the action of the Holy Spirit in the world, and calling it evil.  It's important to understand that the Pharisees are a group of people for whom studying the Scriptures is of primary importance; knowing and debating the meaning of even the minutiae of Scripture is what they dedicate themselves to doing.  So to take an action like this -- one in which the blind and mute both spoke and saw (a sign attributed to the coming of the Messiah in prophecy; see for example Isaiah 35:5-6) -- is actually quite beneath persons schooled in Scripture and its implications.  It is, as my study Bible says, a sign of hardened hearts, even beyond the capacity for repentance.  Thus Jesus' words regarding blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  Let us note that He explicitly does not defend Himself as Jesus, but is defending the Third Person of the Trinity, the Spirit.  Jesus' logic cuts through their envy and resentment of His appeal among the people, and of the authority with which He speaks.  How can Satan cast out Satan?  Jesus puts it into the context of a battle of kingdoms, and indeed it truly is.  Which side are the Pharisees defending in attacking the work of the Holy Spirit?  When we observe the world around us, can we, also begin to look objectively at what "fruits" are produced?  Do we see healing, or do we see harm? 

 

 

And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother"

 

 And they went into a house.  Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."  So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house.

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."  

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

 

- Mark 3:19b-35 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. 

 

  And they went into a house.  Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."   One thing we must notice about our recent readings is that so many people now follow Christ that He has drawn the attention of the religious leaders, who now plot against Him with the followers of Herod's court (see Thursday's reading).  This means that the powerful people who rule Galilee, where Christ's family lives in the town of Nazareth, are now helping to plot against Him.  So His extended family (His own people) are very likely justly frightened of this scrutiny.  Moreover, we're told in John's Gospel, speaking of extended family, that "even His own brothers did not believe in Him" (John 7:5).  At this stage, they likely come for Him as they are frightened for Him, and so want to draw Him out of the public eye and bring Him back home.  To feign insanity in order to avoid persecution is something familiar in the Scriptures (see 1 Samuel 21:12-15, which David did so), and perhaps a way they think He will not be held responsible.

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."  Here we're given to understand that there are scribes who've come down from Jerusalem, the center of religious and community rule of Israel, perhaps particularly for the purpose of observing Christ's ministry -- another thing which would no doubt fuel the fears of Christ's family.  The scribes pronounce Jesus to be possessed by Beelzebub, and claim that it is by the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.  My study Bible explains that Beelzebub, or Baal, was the prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies" -- a god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).  Here the scribes from Jerusalem refer to him  as the ruler of the demons.  In other words, Satan.

So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house."  My study Bible comments that the impossibility here illustrated by Christ of demons fighting against themselves shows the irrational pride and envy of the scribes and Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.  Jesus refutes both the implication that He is out of His mind, and that He works through demons, and goes forward more deeply into declaring Himself:  He is indeed the stronger man, who binds the strong man (Satan) and will plunder his house.  Jesus has come to claim and to redeem a world, to bind Satan and plunder his house -- to claim the souls held there.

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."   My study Bible explains that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit.  That is, it is blasphemy against pure goodness.  The divine activity of the Spirit is something known, particularly to these experts in the religion, because it is fully expressed throughout the Old Testament.  Therefore, such blasphemy is not forgiven as it comes from a  willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  According to patristic commentary, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin" and neither does Jesus ever call it "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  My study Bible comments that Jesus makes this declaration knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and are beyond repentance by their own choice.

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."  My study Bible comments (echoing John's Gospel as noted above) that Christ's relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission.  There is no doubt they are likely responding to the scrutiny and plots against Him by the religious leaders, and are particularly alarmed by the scribes pronouncing Him to be working through the ruler of the demons.  And again, confronted with their fears, He goes beyond even this immediate concern of family, and asserts what is a greater family -- one which is based on obedience to the will of God.  In Jewish usage, my study Bible explains, brother can indicate any number of relations.  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother" (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).  Christ Himself had no blood brothers, as Mary had but one Son:  Jesus.  The brothers mentioned here are therefore either stepbrothers, sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, or cousins.  Indeed, at the Cross Jesus commits the care of His mother to John His disciple (John 19:25-27).  This would have been culturally unthinkable if Mary had other children to care for her.

In a commentary on John, St. Augustine writes of Jesus' mother Mary:  "She did the Father’s will. It was this in her that the Lord magnified, not merely that her flesh gave birth to flesh.… When he said, "Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it," He was in effect saying: "My mother whom you have called blessed is blessed for the reason that she keeps the Word of God, not that the Word was made flesh in her and dwelt among us, but that she keeps the very Word of God through which she was made and which was made flesh in her."  Elsewhere he writes, "Mary is more blessed in receiving the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ," and moreover that "her nearness as a mother would have been little help for her salvation if she had not borne Christ in her heart in a more blessed manner than in the flesh."  Perhaps the greatest testimony to Mary's devout character and faith in the will of God is her simple response to the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation of the birth of Christ (Luke 1:26-38): "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."   Through St. John's care of Christ's mother, we know that she was indeed a close member of the community of the apostles and the faithful.  The fact that she was at the Cross tells us all we need to know about her dedication to her Son and to His ministry.   So, when Christ teaches that "whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother," then we must assume that His mother is included in that greater spiritual family that Christ has come to build up in the world, those who love the goodness of God and the working of the Holy Spirit.  From the earliest times of the Church, the veneration of Mary as saint comes from this understanding.  Indeed, right from the beginning, Mary and Jesus' earthly guardian, St. Joseph, sheltered Him from persecution and cared for Him as One special to God (see Matthew 2:13-23).  This makes Mary one whose devotion to God is integral to her love of her Son and her role as Mother.  In the history of the Church, she is the one who becomes Mother for millions, as she is known and remembered through those asking for prayers as one who turns no one away, whose compassion may be invoked for intercession, just as we would ask the prayers of kind people in our lives.  In the history of the Church Mary has been given many names for the various kinds of intercession people have experienced through prayer.  It is intriguing to consider how much of Christ's human character was learned from His mother.  We know through Christ of God's love and compassion, but the special woman who could fill this role as mother to Christ must also have had her own quality of insight, compassion, tenderness, and understanding.  We also know of her suffering for love of her Son, and for her faith in God.  So the Church has seen in her through the ages.  Let us also understand the significance of Christ's words, for He points to a family created in and through the Holy Spirit, even as Jesus was born to Mary through the Holy Spirit.  He calls us to this family, to His brother and sister and mother.  It is in that family where we may also experience Mary as Mother, among all the other brothers, sisters, and even mothers we will find there.