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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 and arthritis, confuse the body’s natural defense system so that the body can no longer tell the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy cell.
As a result, normal cells are mistaken for a threat, causing the body to attack itself.
An otherwise healthy human body becomes like a “house divided,” causing unnecessary pain, even to an excruciating level.
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When we gaze across the world of politics, culture, and religion, we can see a similar phenomenon unfolding in our own country today.
At times, a baptized person is not seen as a fellow Christian (or even as an American), but as “pro-this” or “anti-that.” We begin fighting amongst ourselves, frustrating the unity of Christ’s body here on earth.
We should remember that the Lord prayed during his final night on earth, “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.”
While we may have our differences, there’s one thing that should transcend it all – our love for Jesus Christ, who is present in our neighbor… even the one who gets underneath our skin.
In what ways do we build up the body of Christ on earth? Conversely, how might we play into the “autoimmune mentality”?
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“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste,” Jesus warns.
May we do our part to strengthen the unity of God’s kingdom present here on earth, by treating one another with fairness, respect, and dare we say love.
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Image credits: (1) Church Sermon Series Ideas (2) Managed Healthcare Executive (3) M. Wiley Wilson, WordPress