Gospel

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, he 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.”

Reflection

Power we have over evil is a gift. It is not within us. And the gift comes through a person.

Through the words, the actions, the life of a man God named Jesus. If we separate ourselves from him, if we're divided against him, if we choose not to allow him to do anything for us, we cannot claim that we have the gift of freedom from sin. We’ll be caught in the sin. But when we deny the source of forgiveness and say we refuse to accept it, of course we are still then without forgiveness.

To say no to this gift is insane, and evil is insane.

Closing Prayer

Father, all you ask is our openness to receive the gifts that you offer us, that you won at a great price. Help us never to resist these gifts, never to deny who you are in us, lest we fall into a place of darkness. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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