Today is a day of prayer for the legal protection of unborn Children.
In the first reading from second book of Samuel ( 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10), David was visited by his kinsmen who wanted him to be their king.
“All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said: “Here we are, your bone and your flesh. In days past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led the children of Israel out and brought them back. And the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.’”
David entered into an agreement with his kinsmen and before the LORD, and they anointed him king of Israel.
David was thirty years old when he became king of Israel. He reigned for forty years: seven years and six months in Hebron over Judah, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem over all Israel and Judah.
The treatment that David received from his kinsmen was quite contrary to Jesus’ experience in today’s gospel.
Jesus had performed a miracle; however, this holy work did not go down well with the religious leaders of his time. The religious leader sent some of their own to confront Jesus regarding his work. They even accused Jesus of blasphemy. They accused Jesus of been possessed by “Beelzebul.” The accused Jesus of using the power of evil to cast out evil., “By the prince of demons he drives out demons,” they said.
Jesus asked the Scribes a question: How can Satan drive out Satan?
Jesus talks about the battle between two kingdoms. The kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of Light. The battle line has been drawn. “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?”
Yes, was the answer as we also see in today’s gospel.
Jesus binds Satan, whom Jesus calls the strong man. Satan had held God’s people in bondage for far too long.
The power of Jesus far surpassed that of Satan. There was a battle raging between the kingdom of God that Jesus was ushering in and the kingdom of this world that Satan had controlled. The final victory over Satan and his kingdom was won through the cross and resurrection of Jesus.
While the battle here on earth can still feel fierce, we have the stronger one living in us and there is no battle that we cannot win through his power.
Have a blessed Week!
