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Gospel: Luke 11: 14-23
Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Auto-immune diseases, such as type-1 diabetes or arthritis, confuse the body’s natural defense system so that the body can no longer tell the difference between a healthy or an unhealthy cell.
Mysteriously, normal cells are mistaken for a threat, causing the body to attack itself.
As a result, an otherwise healthy human being becomes like a “house divided,” as Jesus describes in today’s Gospel, causing unnecessary pain – sometimes to an excruciating level.
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When we gaze across the world of politics and religion, we can see a similar phenomenon unfolding, even in our own country.
At times, a baptized person is not seen as a fellow Christian (or even as an American), but as “pro-this” or “anti-that.” As a result, we fight amongst ourselves, destroying the unity of Christ’s body here on earth.
Yet the Lord prayed during his final night, “That they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me” (John 17:21).
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While we may have our differences, there’s one thing that should transcend it all – our love for Jesus, demonstrated by how we treat Him in our neighbor.
In what ways can I strive for greater unity – at home, at work, in the Church, online?
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“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste,” Jesus warns.
May we do our part to retain the unity Christ desires, seeking common ground, praying for and listening to each other, always remembering – “that” person is not an enemy, rather a brother or sister in Christ.
Come, Holy Spirit, make us one in Jesus.
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Image credits: (1)WVBS – World Video Bible School (2) News-Medical (3) Zarephath Christian Church, YouTube