Jesus and Beelzebul
And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” (3:22)
The leaders in Jerusalem were beginning to sense that my teaching was challenging their system of rules, their method to direct the lives of Jews. Therefore, they sent scribes from Jerusalem to try to find a fault in my teaching. When these scribes saw that my family disapproved my ministry, they felt encouraged to try to discredit the fact that I was casting out demons. They argued that I was using the power of the prince of demons, Beelzebul. This was both ridiculous and a blaspheme against the Holy Spirit in me. I then answered first about the ridiculous part, before speaking about the more serious blaspheme against the Holy Spirit that they were pronouncing.
And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast 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, but is coming to an end. (3:23-26)
I simply tried to point out the contradiction in what they said. I was casting out so many demons, releasing so many persons from the oppression of demons. It would have been absurd, for the prince of demons, to have been the one doing this. It would be like someone destroying his own work on a large scale. If Beelzebul was indeed doing that, his sinful kingdom would not stand, his house would be divided and he would come to an end. The demons are indeed coming to an end, but only through the love of God for humanity and for all His creation.
But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. (3:27)
The strong man was Satan, the prince of demons, and his house was full of those oppressed by demons. I came to bind this strong man, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and to release all those oppressed. I came to plunder his house.
Before my coming, the demons were trying to oppress without being too visible, and they still try to remain hidden today. Their purpose is not to attract the attention to them but first to control and destroy. They delight in psychological explanations of their devastations, these beautiful scientific blankets that hide their doing and allow them to proliferate freely. Science is a good tool, as long as it is humble and does not pretend to explain what it is helpless to heal. Psychology is useful. Yet, as long as people don’t realize that behind physical manifestations there is also a spiritual world, they only have a very limited perspective. They will not be able to fully understand what is at stake in a disease or in a ‘psychological’ problem. In the Gospels, some of the miracles I performed are described sometimes as healings and sometimes as deliverance from demons. When Peter’s mother-in-law was healed, Mark described a healing and Luke described a deliverance. Which one is right? Both are right. The diseases are not a heavenly choice but a consequence of sin in its many forms. This consequence can be more or less directly related to demons. Humans like to put such things in neat categories, separating nicely the healings from the casting out of demons. I came to reveal that on earth there is a spiritual battle, with holy angels and with demons. This is the reality I came to manifest. I came to show how my disciples could receive my authority, the Father’s authority, and release those oppressed by demons. This is so important, and can bring healing and release to so many in this world.
Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” - for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” (3:28-30)
I cast out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit that was in me. In the same way, my disciples receive this ability fully when they welcome the Holy Spirit in them. In accusing me of being led by an unclean spirit, they were insulting the Holy Spirit himself. This was a serious insult, a blaspheme. By attributing God’s work to the devil, they were confusing people and leading them to lose trust in God, therefore leading people away from God. In doing so, they were doing the work of demons who pull people away from God. They would have to suffer the consequence of it, there would be no forgiveness in them.
Some people in your world, particularly those who try to be perfect in order to be loved, are afraid that they have perhaps committed this unforgivable sin. They should not be concerned. What they need to learn is that they should first welcome my love by grace, through faith in me. They will then be able to reach this perfection they aim for. In your world, there is no perfection outside of my presence. The only perfection, the goal for each human, is to be united to me through the Holy Spirit, to walk full of our presence, all this by grace and through faith in God. As you learn to be a temple of the Holy Spirit, to listen to me and to follow me, you become able to love as you have been created to love. This is the goal of your creation.
Those who should be concerned by this warning are the religious leaders who attribute to the devil what the Holy Spirit and I do through my disciples. If they have doubts about specific “spiritual” manifestations, they should indeed be cautious but not proclaim too quickly radical condemnations if they are not sure.
Through the cross, I have bound Satan, the strong man. Follow me, welcome my sacrifice on the cross, and plunder what Satan had stolen. Bring deliverance through the Holy Spirit living in you. Learn to speak with me daily, as I spoke daily with the Father. I will then be able to lead you in the path of life that will be a blessing to many. With our presence in you, you will be able to release many people of diseases and demonic oppression. That was the example I gave to my disciples. That is the example I invite you to follow.
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