A reflection on Mark 3:7-12
Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
©️2022 by Gloria M. Chang
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” He warned them sternly not to make him known.
Mark 3:7-12
Dark Witnesses of the Truth
Plato’s notion that ignorance is “the root and stem of all evil” does not hold up in the Gospels. Spirits free of the fog of concupiscence and ignorance see the Son of God with piercing clarity yet willfully resist him: “What have you to do with us, Son of God?” (Matthew 8:29; Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28) Knowledge of the truth does not necessarily lead to love.
Dead Faith of the Demons
St. Augustine writes:
The “faith that works by love” (Galatians 5:6), is not the same faith that demons have. “For the devils also believe and tremble” (James 2:19), but do they love? If they had not believed, they would not have said: “You are the holy one of God” or “You are the Son of God.” But if they had loved, they would not have said: “What have we to do with you?”
Letter 194 to Sixtus
Dead faith curses Christ. Living faith surrenders to him in trust. Children of God welcome the Light and Love that seal communion, but enemies flee before him (Psalm 68:1(2)).
“You are the Son of God!” dark spirits cried
As Light and Love pierced through demonic pride.
The demons recognizing Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, has always blown my mind. The people might fail to see Him for who He was, but Satan knew…and his minions trembled in fear. He exposed them, He cast them out, He might actually destroy them. They knew what He COULD do, but it sounds like they’re not sure of what He WOULD do. We see that He commands them to be silent. Apparently, they were not capable of disobeying a direct command from Him. The restraint used by the Christ, the great I AM, brings me to my knees in utter awareness of my sinful humanity.
Thank you for your insights, Theresa. May the authority of Christ fill us with confidence in his Holy Name!
Thanks for your thoughts!
Are demonic voices prevalent today?
How do demons taunt us?
Through media fallacies
Designed to upset us?
Which filters help to tell
Those from heaven or hell?
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle,
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil;
may God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God,
cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl throughout the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.