A house divided

This morning we are continuing series titled Criticizing Jesus: The Words of Jesus. In this five-week series we will look at the criticisms Jesus faced during his ministry. What does each criticism reveal about Jesus’s character, priorities, authority, and mission?

If you look at the Gospels you can find a number of time that Jesus faced criticism from the Pharisees, from scribes, from Herodians, from Romans, even from members of his own family.

Last we look a a passage in John where other were second guessing who Jesus was. They were confused at this man that was able to heal on the sabbath. The Jews leader of the time ask what right do you have. Jesus responed with My father is still working and so am I. Wow did that set them off. Jesus just calmed that he was the son of God. This leader would have run the other way. Much like we do when we hear something we do not want to hear. Jesus is God in the flesh. We must discover and proclaim who Jesus said he was.

Today we will be in Mark 3:22-30. SO if you have your bible go head and turn there. If you do not they will be on the screen in a few moments.

But before we do I have a question for you. So think for a moment.

Have you ever been called a name that totally missed who you are?

My guess from the look on your faces is that you have faced something like this before. You see we will also have people in our life that can cause problem for us with their words. There will also be someone out there that will miss understand something you said or take something you did to far. A lot of time this ends ups with someone getting hurt or just a bad experience.

This morning we will be look at a passage were Jesus faced some pretty hard criticism. We will be at the need of chapter 3 but if tou read the whole chapter from start to finish, you will notice something. There is the growing sense in everyone that something is not quick right with Jesus .

The chapter begins with the Herodians wanting to destroy him because of “work” on the Sabbath (more on that in week 5) and then climaxes when his family tries to restrain him and declares Jesus to be “out of his mind” (v. 21).

Mark 3:22–30 CSB

22 The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.” 23 So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. 28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. 29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

They calm Jesus is possessed

We see this in verse 22.The scribes had no clue how to to answer for that Jesus was doing. They could not find any other way that made sense to them. There are three reason why they thought this. Jesus is not thinking clearly; Jesus is not in control of his actions; Jesus is not serving God. Why are they saying this?

First, because they cannot deny what’s happening. Jesus is casting out demons (v. 11). But he isn’t acting in a way they believe a respectable, law-abiding Jew should act (vv. 1–6). So if Jesus is not acting the way they expect a religious observant Jew to act, yet he is casting out demons, in their mind there is only one conclusion: he is an agent of Satan. That is a very serious criticism.

A house divided can not stand.

Jesus responds do be call the devil is is very direct and to the point. This man that was so called out of his mind, He replies with a very rational way.

How is it possible, Jesus asks, that Satan can cast out Satan (v. 23)?

He points out that a house divided against itself cannot stand but will fall. If Satan is waging war on his own kingdom, then in the end, God’s kingdom will triumph because the kingdom of darkness will devour itself (vv. 23–26).

Another way to look at is this. If you undermind a foundation of a house. What will happen? It will fall and be distoryed.

Jesus responds in mean different way to different types of criticisms. When its appropriate he refute the calms. He also demonstarte the soundness of his mind when its necassary. He also doesn’t avoid the criticism but instead turns the moment into a teaching moment to how the people about his mission and about God.

so you might be wondering

What does this criticism and Jesus’s response teach us about God?

Jesus describes himself in a surprising way in his response. In verse 27, he says, “But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.”

The strong man here is Satan; his house and goods are the kingdom of darkness, or this world. Jesus is the one who has entered this present darkness and is powerful enough to tie Satan down and do what he wants with Satan’s “goods”!

What does this tell us about God? He wants to set his children free! He wants his children to live for him and to serve him. When you find yourself tempted or feeling like the world is out to get you, remember: you don’t face these things alone.

No matter how powerful the foe may seem, no matter how strong your adversary may be, no matter how big the problem, there is someone bigger, stronger, and more powerful who is on your side and is actively working to free you.

Jesus waged war against powers of darkness.

If you don’t believe in spiritual warfare and the powers of darkness, then a lot of what Jesus did and taught will seem like nonsense. But knowing he is all powerful over the forces of evil means you can turn to him in your time of need.

In the context in which Jesus was criticized, all sides recognized and believed in spiritual warfare. And spiritual warfare was a big part of Jesus’s ministry. Today, it’s easy to face temptation, or even ill health, and limit the scope of the problems merely to the physical realm. The criticism Jesus received in this passage is a good reminder that Jesus has power and authority over everything, seen and unseen, and we can go to him in prayer during our time of great need.