22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”REFLECTIONSWritten by Sam DarmoThere are three things that our Lord Jesus tells us here: First, in verses 25-27 neither God’s Kingdom nor Satan’s are divided. Both are united towards accomplishing their objectives.  Secondly, in verses 28-29 God’s Kingdom has come upon the world and has conquered Satan and is plundering him by rescuing people from sin and death.Thirdly, in verses 30-37 there is a choice that we all have to make, a side we have to take in this life. When do we have to do that? The answer is: today and now, when the Holy Spirit of God works us to point us to Jesus our saviour.  If we deny Jesus and the conviction of the Holy Spirit, then we say that Jesus is like the prince of demons or “Beelzebul”, and we take Satan’s side.Therefore, what people choose will be the fruit of either God’s Spirit or Satan working in their hearts: either the Holy Spirit leading them to confess Jesus as the one who is bringing God’s kingdom; or Satan poisoning their hearts against God’s pure message of salvation through Christ.Pray with me that we will all be faithful witnesses to who Christ is through the work of God’s Holy Spirit in us, in Jesus’ might name. Amen.   ABOUT THE AUTHORSam is an assistant minister with our Fairfield Morning and our Assyrian and Arabic congregations.