Division

Luke: 11: 15-36 

Constant Testing

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.”

We might think we are the only  persons on earth who is constantly harassed, but if we look at the life, of Jesus, we see that he too was beset by challenges at every turn.  Unlike us, he was able to confront and overcome them as we see in today's gospel.   He reinforces the adage that "a house divided cannot stand" and encourages us to stand with him when we are challenged with choosing sides. When we look carefully at our lives we see that we have faced "bumps in the road" or   have been  "tested" as far back as we can remember, and know, realistically that today's bumps will be followed by tomorrow's. Knowing this, we can more wholeheartedly take our place at the side of Jesus, giving him full reign over us and our choices,  letting him be our defender and help us "pass the test."

Bro. Rene