Reflection for October 10 Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 11:15-26

Gospel: Luke 11:15-26

When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd 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.

“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”

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Reflection:

Does Jesus deserve the accusation that He is a demon? Has He done any demonic actions to earn such an accusation? No, Jesus doesn’t deserve the accusation, and He surely has not done anything contrary to His mission—none at all.

The crowd’s accusation sprang from the deceit and envy that had taken root in their hearts. And who planted that deceit and envy? It was Beelzebul, the prince of demons, himself! In truth, it was not Jesus who was influenced by the devil but the accusers themselves, whose hearts were already darkened by evil.

This is a strong reminder for us to guard our own hearts. We must be vigilant not to allow deceit, envy, pride, or any other negative emotions to take root within us, for these are the very seeds sown by the enemy. Instead of letting darkness linger, we should fill our hearts and minds with godly thoughts. We must deliberately choose to walk with Jesus, because this is always the right and life-giving path. If we are not for Jesus, then we are against Him—there is no middle ground.

Why should we ever choose to be in the company of the devil when it will never bring any good to our lives? The enemy can only lead us to misery and destruction, even when he disguises his evil schemes with the many attractive and glittering things of this world.

That is why we must be discerning. The devil can be at work even in the smallest compromises, quietly enticing us without us realizing it. How can we discern his deception? By drawing closer to Jesus, staying rooted in His Word, and never walking away from His loving presence. Only then can we clearly recognize the subtle traps of the enemy—the same enemy who tirelessly tries to separate us from the unfailing love of Jesus.

Let us therefore firmly align ourselves with Jesus and refuse to compromise with anything that is evil or displeasing to Him, no matter how tempting it may appear. Because sooner or later, the devil’s bait will only bring us unfathomable pain and spiritual ruin.

May we always choose Jesus above all else. May we keep our hearts anchored in His love and our lives grounded in His truth.

When deceit, envy, or worldly temptations come knocking at the door of our hearts, will we let them in—or will we stand firm with Jesus, who alone can give us true peace and eternal life? — Marino J. Dasmarinas