Gospel (Lk 11:14-23)

Now Jesus was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke, and the people marveled. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons”; while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven.

But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.”

Commentary

A man is freed from a demon that prevented him from speaking. People are amazed and surprised. However, some are not happy about the healing. They don’t give thanks to God. On the contrary, they cast suspicion on what Jesus has done. They are so filled with self-conceit that they think salvation has to come from them, from what they decide and do. In their pride they have remained mute and no longer ask, no longer beseech God.

In a way, the same thing can happen to us. We can go through life without realizing all the graces God grants us, that it is He who makes us holy. We think it is due to ourselves, that we don't owe him that much. And in our pride we can end up being ungrateful for what God’s Love has done for us.

And thus we enclose ourselves in our selfishness, in our vanity and conceit. And we leave God out of our life. But then everything inside us is put out of place. Family, friends, work, rest. Everything becomes tedious because everything is out of place, because we have put ourselves at the center of our lives.

Christ is the strength that can do everything. But he can't do anything if we are ungrateful, if we fail to recognize our own neediness, if we don’t talk to him, beseech him, and even cry out to him to enter in. We need to let ourselves be won over God, for then everything in our interior world finds its right place, and we can enjoy our lives with authentic joy.