Reading
Luke 11:15-26
15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” 16 Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.
17 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. 18 If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.
23 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
24 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”
Comment
Doing good by the Evil One. This is the accusation that "some" - it is not specified here if they are Pharisees or doctors of the law - move to Jesus. Here Psalm 109 comes true: "They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship". But Jesus, who as the Son of God, knows their thoughts, affirms the absurdity of the accusation made by his opponents: because there is a hierarchy, a "unity" even in the domain of evil.
Satan brings division, but he too has a kingdom with a unity of purpose: to destroy the saving work of Christ and mankind itself. Jesus has testified on many occasions that his work brings healing and liberation. But the blindness of his opponents asks for "a sign from heaven". They do not look to the fruit to judge the tree (Mt 7:20); their unbelief needs signs and wonders. This a risk that even the Christian runs, when they do not consider sufficient the saving experience that is realized in those who welcome the gospel but seeks the miraculous event eagerly, demonstrating a wavering faith.
The Incarnate Word is able to "tear off the armor" of the enemy; however, we are warned to be vigilant because the latter will rage against our "house swept and adorned" more than before (vv. 25-26). Jesus works "with the finger of God", that is, with the power of the Father, and whoever is with him is clothed with the same ability to free souls from evil. But whoever is against him "scatters", because his work, far from leading to an abundant harvest, is like the seed that fell along the road (Mt 13:1-9).
In another Gospel passage, Mark reports that the apostle John turned to Jesus saying: "“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us."(Mk 9:38-40; see also Luke 9:50). These are words only in apparent contradiction with what Matthew reported: “Whoever is not with me is against me” (v. 23). The important thing, in fact, is to move within the perimeter traced by the Gospel. Here lies the mild "intransigence" of Jesus. Then we will reap the fruits of salvation, and we will reap in abundance, as instruments of his grace.
Prayer
O Lord, we recognize your word as a word of life and liberation; grant us to keep it, to be free from the attacks of the Evil One. Amen.
- Rev. Dr. Luca Vona
