I finished up Psalms a few weeks ago and decided to take a stroll through the New Testament via the Gospel of Matthew. Round about the twelfth chapter, Jesus is doing his thing, casting out demons and such...
'And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons."'
Like we often do when we see someone who's living better than we are, the Pharisees refused to accept Jesus's goodness. Like when I see someone diligent and unswerving in their faith and I roll my eyes and think, "Ugh, holier-than-thou..." Those kind of glimpses of reality are convicting and uncomfortable, so we (I) make excuses about how they must be too good to be true.
This is when it gets good.
'Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?... "'
Jesus basically blindsides the Pharisees by responding to their cynical thoughts... and then calls them out on their idiocy. Why would Satan cast out Satan, dummies? You really thought that one through, didn't you?
I like to think the crowd around them looked a lot like a crowd of high schoolers around a rising fight, "Oooooooh! He burnt you!"... "What's that I smell? Smells like bacon: BURNT bacon!"-- High schoolers are, of course, known for their clever comebacks.
So, in the words of Michael Scott: Boom. Roasted. He burnt your bacon, Pharisees. You just don't mess with the Lord of Lords.
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