25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
People are accusing Jesus saying that he is possessed by Beelzebul while he is casting out demons. Jesus points out the foolishness of that. When a house is divided, it can’t last.
Considering how divided Christianity is at times, I’m amazed that there are still Christians in our world. It is truly the work of the Holy Spirit! There is so much that unites us, and I believe that it is the work of Satan that is dividing us. Can you imagine the changes that our world would experience if all Christians worked together to live out a gospel of love? What if everyone understood the goodness of God and the Good News of salvation that Jesus won for us? If we could stop squabbling about which type of Christianity was the best, people might look at us and say the same thing that they said about the early Christians – see how they love one another!
Think about how you choose a restaurant. Do you pick the one with two cars in the parking lot or the one with two spaces left! If I’m unfamiliar with an area, I want the popular one. People are both attracted to Christianity and turned away for the same reason – they see how Christians act, and divisiveness is just another name for hypocrisy. It is so important that we stand as one against a world that works to create hatred and animosity. In the long run, love will conquer, but it will take less time if those of us who claim to follow Jesus live lives based on love and unity.
Lord, you prayed at the last supper that all may be one. You understood the necessity of standing together in love. Give us the graces we need to work together to defeat Satan and make sure his efforts to divide us fail. Amen.
