In league with the devil?
Some of the teachers of the Law who had come from Jerusalem were saying, ‘He has Beelzebul in him! It is the chief of the demons who gives him the power to drive them out.’
So Jesus called them to him and spoke to them in parables. ‘How can Satan drive out Satan? If a country divides itself into groups which fight each other, that country will fall apart. If a family divides itself into groups which fight each other, that family will fall apart. So if Satan’s kingdom divides into groups, it cannot last, but will fall apart and come to an end.’ (verses 22-26)
It is sad what a battering Christianity gets from many parts of the media. Ministers of religion are shamelessly sent up by television shows. Rarely is a clergyperson displayed as having compassion for humanity or being a normal, useful person.
Jesus experienced much the same. People said he was mad; even his family got to hear of it. People came from Jerusalem to discredit him. He was accused of being in league with Satan himself. The accusations were so stupid that no one could believe them, but, like today, many people did.
If Jesus was treated like this, I guess we can expect to be too. After all, we do his work and spread his message. We can only take heart in the fact that we know he is the Son of God, who saves us from sin. His message is for all people, and we have been commissioned to spread the word. Satan will stop at nothing to try to stop, or at least discredit, this ministry.
Father, please let me do nothing which will detract from the credibility of the Christian witness to our community. Amen.
by Bob Turnbull, in ‘New Strength for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 1998)
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