The Gospel of Mark: House Divided

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” And he called them to him, and spoke 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 his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” ~ Mark 3:22-30


There really are two things that jump out at me with this passage. 

First, it is hard to read the words "a house divided against itself will not be able to stand" and not think of where we are right now in this country. I can't recall a time, at least in my lifetime, that we were more divided.

The other thing I noticed in this passage is something that I caught for the very first of the many times I've read this.

When Jesus says that someone who blasphemes against this Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven, it always struck me as worrisome. Jesus not forgiving???

But then I noticed that his condemnation comes for those who said he was possessed by an unclean spirit - those who are calling the Holy Spirit unclean.

For Jesus IS possessed. Not by an unclean spirit, but by the Holy Spirit.

God's Spirit is let loose on the world, and these, who claim to follow the Most High, cannot see it.

They didn't see that healing and forgiveness are of God, not of evil.

Is there a time I have to ask myself, where I don't see God's Spirit at work in the world? Where I completely miss that something is good?

And is there a time where I see something evil and mistake it for good?

When that happens, division happens. Division within myself that, when compounded with the division in others, leads to a house divided.

One that cannot stand.


Holy God, thank you for the gospel - the good news - of your Son. Open my mind and heart to this good news and enliven me with your Spirit of servanthood that I might share this good news with a world in need. Amen



Engagement Questions:


When is a time you felt divided within yourself? When is a time you confused something good for something bad? Or vice versa?

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