A reflection on Luke 11:14-23
Friday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
©️2021 Gloria M. Chang
In the clash of Jesus and Beelzebul, a miraculous healing sparks awe and accusations, revealing the battle between divine truth and envious lies.
Jesus and Beelzebul: A Clash of Power
Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute person spoke and the crowds were amazed. Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “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? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 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. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Luke 11:14-23
Loopy Logic
Envy and hatred twist hearts and distort vision. In the presence of the holy, cynics slur by calling good evil and evil good. After Jesus heals a mute person, amazing the crowds, slanderers smear his reputation by linking him with demonic forces.
Beelzebul (derived from the Hebrew Baalzebub, “lord of flies”), a name of Satan transferred from the god of the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2), is invoked to demonize Christ and his work. Jesus reveals their fallacious logic with the image of a kingdom divided. Like all crime rings, demons require unity and cohesion to carry out their nefarious schemes. Therefore, far from serving the evil one, Jesus, the “strong man,” conquers Satan, unbinds captives, and sets them free.
Jesus and Beelzebul: Exposing a Divided Kingdom
Division destroys.
Even demons unify
To execute ploys.
Some say Christ was in cahoots with the Lord of the Flies!
But would Beelzebul engineer his own demise?
Traditional Chinese Translation
《耶穌和別西卜》
有人說基督與蠅王同謀！
但別西卜會謀劃自己的滅亡嗎？
Dear GMC, in our Journey to wholeness, there is a return to innocence. I dedicate this song (lyrics below) by Enigma to you for the debut of Shalom Snail, where its success is our success. Mazeltov, GMC!!💐🐌❤🙃
Love
Devotion
Feeling
Emotion
Don’t be afraid to be weak
Don’t be too proud to be strong
Just look into your heart my friend
That will be the return to yourself
The return to innocence
And if you want, then start to laugh
If you must, then start to cry
Be yourself don’t hide
Just believe in destiny
Don’t care what people say
Just follow your own way
Don’t give up and use the chance
To return to innocence
That’s not the beginning of the end
That’s the return to yourself
The return to innocence
Thank you, fdan! I am deeply touched! May God, our Blessed Mother, Saints, Angels, snails and flowers bless you! 🐌❤️🌷😊🌿
Thank God for you!! The song was based on a native Taiwanese chant by a Taiwanese tribesman Kuo Ying-nan and his wife Kuo Hsiu-chu.
Thank you for that explanation! Someone in my family heard it and exclaimed that it was a Taiwanese chant. Very inspirational!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6mI1xcfRtw
Whoever does not gather with me, scatters,
Wandering away from truth.
Who you follow really matters!
Disciples listen and learn more.
Keep wondering who, what, where and why!
Keep the questions that have no answers
Rest them in sacred space, allow ego to die!
Can the whole ocean be contained
In the sandcastle of our mind?
To a boy on the beach Augustine explained,
Trinity love is mystery beyond humankind!