Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time, January 27, 2025

Gospel

Mark 3:22-30

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus,

"He is possessed by Beelzebul," and

"By the prince of demons he drives out demons."

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,

"How can Satan drive 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;

that is the end of him.

But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property

unless he first ties up the strong man.

Then he can plunder his house.

Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies

that people utter will be forgiven them.

But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit

will never have forgiveness,

but is guilty of an everlasting sin."

For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Reflection

In this Gospel, the scribes make the false accusation that Jesus casts out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Jesus responds with the logical question, “How can Satan drive out Satan?”. He then explains that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, and neither can Satan’s power prevail if it is working against itself. Jesus goes on giving warning to them, “Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” I believe this warning relates to the scribes and how they not only falsely accused Jesus, but also persisted in their blasphemy, refusing to acknowledge the error in their actions. The scribes stubbornness blinded them to the truth and prevented them from seeking forgiveness. Their sin became “everlasting” because they rejected the work of the Holy Spirit and closed themselves off from God’s mercy attributing the Holy Spirit's work to evil.

I think this passage is a good reminder of how pride can corrupt our judgment and make us resistant to change. Even those who are otherwise logical and wise can become blind and irrational when they refuse to admit they are wrong. We see this happen with the scribes who were supposed to be intelligent and discerning, but still chose to double down on their accusations rather than humbling themselves to see the truth in Jesus. I think this Gospel calls for humility and self-awareness. It challenges us to examine the ways we might let pride or fear prevent us from accepting truth, admitting when we're wrong, or recognizing God’s work in unexpected ways.