Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
We might think that this deed would have been easier to celebrate, less likely to provoke a hostile response. But what would follow from celebrating the exorcism and cure of this formerly mute individual? It would mean that Jesus was truly from God, operating by divine authority, that he drove out demons by "the finger of God", and that therefore the Kingdom of God had come among them. It was probably some of the people who really thought through the implications of the exorcism that were the most likely to reject it in the strongest terms. Those people who didn't realize it called them to make a definitive response to Jesus himself could appreciate it casually. But in doing so, they failed to understand what it meant.
Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Do we ever do downplay or denigrate the work of God in a situation in order to get ourselves off the hook? Do we say hear something in our Spirit and think, 'That can't be God', because the implications are that we would have to increasingly give up control of our lives to him? Do we ask for signs when God has already proven himself in order to simply delay accepting things we already should know to be true?
Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself,
how will his kingdom stand?
Jesus wants us to recognize that he is working for our good while Satan is working for our destruction. The sides are clear, and the impulses that help to build the Kingdom are those that of healing, restoration, and unity. Satan's kingdom is united only in his desire to stand against God, to destroy life, and to keep humanity under his thumb. Even others in Jesus' day that were not a part of his group, but who nevertheless drove out demons, were still doing so through the power of God. The demons themselves guarded their "possessions" for all they were worth in order to keep them safe.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Jesus was the one who was stronger than the enemy who overcame him, taking away the armor of ignorance and ambiguity, in order to set captivity free. He then distributed the spoils of the Spirit, love, joy, freedom, and peace.
When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men (see Ephesians 4:8).
Every intervention on the part of God is a call to deeper surrender to his will. But we often harden our hearts instead. Let us hear the words of the psalmist pleading, "that today you would hear his voice".
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