Chúa Giêsu nói với chúng ta trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, "Ai không đi với tôi thì là kẻ ấy là người chống lại tôi, và ai không cùng tôi thu góp là phân tán." Chúa Giêsu có thể đã bổ sung vào lời giải thích: "Kẻ nào không giúp ta vác thập giá, thì kẻ ấy đã thực sự làm cho thập giá đó nặng nề hơn; còn kẻ nào không đi với ta, nói chuyện với ta, làm việc với ta, và sống với ta, thì kẻ ấy chắc chắn đang theo một ai đó khác không phải là ta. "
Jesus tells us in today's Gospel, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters." Jesus might have added in explanation: "He who does not help me carry the cross, actually makes it heavier; he who does not walk with me and talk with me and work with me and live with me, he surely is following someone else not me."
Are we for Christ or against Christ? Perhaps we can easily find out by asking ourselves: "Am I helping Christ to carry his cross?" Am I denying myself to be of help to others when they are in need? Remember Christ gave his life for all of us. Are we willing to carry the cross out of love for the poor, the needy, the lonely? Can we sacrifice a little of our precious time, energy or money so that others may live more decently and more happily? Are we with Christ in our thoughts, words and actions? Is our prayer life such that Christ is often with us and we with him?" Jesus is the way, the only way to eternal happiness. Only if we live with him and die with him, can we be with him in his heavenly kingdom.
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?” Luke 11:15–18
The name Beelzebul is first found in 2 Kings 1, where it refers to a false god worshiped by the Philistines in Ekron. King Ahaziah of Israel, after suffering an injury, sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to learn whether he would recover. This was a grave offense against the First Commandment, so God sent the prophet Elijah to rebuke the king.
When Ahaziah sent two captains—each with fifty soldiers—to seize Elijah, the prophet called down fire from Heaven, consuming both groups. A third captain, recognizing Elijah as a man of God, humbly begged for mercy. In response, Elijah went with him to the king. There, Elijah delivered the Lord’s judgment: Because Ahaziah had turned to a false god instead of the God of Israel, he would die—and he did.
By the time of Jesus, Jewish tradition had developed a more structured demonology. In some rabbinic writings, Beelzebul (a variant of Baal-Zebub) came to be understood as a chief demon, often associated with satan himself or as one of his principal agents overseeing lesser demons. Thus, when Jesus was accused of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul, His accusers were attributing a divine act to diabolical power—a profoundly serious error and a sign of spiritual blindness.
Talk of Beelzebul, satan, and demons can stir fear in our hearts. Sacred art and literature often portray these fallen angels in terrifying forms, emphasizing their opposition to God and their hatred for His children. But should we fear them? Not in themselves. We should only have a holy fear of sin, both the sin that arises from our human weakness and the sin that comes through demonic temptation. We ought to fear turning away from God’s grace more than we fear any diabolical force.
Though demons are often portrayed as fierce and mighty, the truth is that every demon is utterly subject to the power of God. In today’s Gospel, Jesus describes His divine authority with the phrase: “the finger of God.” This expression recalls when Pharaoh’s magicians were unable to replicate the signs Moses performed and exclaimed, “This is the finger of God!” It also echoes when the Ten Commandments were written by God’s own finger on stone tablets, signifying divine authorship and sovereign authority.
In this context, Jesus uses the phrase to reveal that the casting out of demons is not some magical act or obscure force, but the unmistakable work of the living God. The very finger of God casts down the demons by His direct and effortless power. Christ does not merely resist the devil; He commands him—and the devil obeys.
When we understand God’s almighty power and His absolute dominion over every evil force, fear begins to dissolve. Fear is one of the enemy’s favorite weapons. Demons not only want us to fear them, but also to live in constant anxiety about many things, especially when life feels out of control. Often, when fear creeps in, it is a sign that a demon may be whispering lies, seeking to draw us away from faith and trust in God.
Reflect today on the power contained in the finger of God. Jesus exercises that power readily, swiftly, and joyfully when we turn to Him in prayer. Let your confidence in God’s supreme authority over sin and every demonic force dispel all fear and anxiety that tries to take root in your heart. Remain vigilant, faithful, and spiritually alert, trusting in Christ through prayer, the Sacraments, fidelity to the Church, and a life of virtue. When you do, the devil has no true hold on you and the finger of God will prevail.
All-powerful Lord, by Your finger alone You created the heavens and the earth. By the finger of God, You send forth Your transforming grace into our lives, forgive our sins, shield us from the evil one, and build Your Kingdom. May Your Kingdom truly reign in my life as You take complete control of me by the perfection of Your loving authority. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, protect me from the attacks of the Evil One. Do not allow me to succumb to temptation, fall into despair, or stray from your ways. I belong to you and your Kingdom. By your grace, help me fight the good fight, finish the race, and remain faithful to you.
1. The Power behind Jesus’ Exorcisms: Jesus’ public ministry consisted of teaching the crowds about the Kingdom of God, healing the sick, raising the dead, fulfilling the Law and the prophets, forming his apostles to exercise authority, and driving out demons. His opponents could not deny that he was doing wondrous things. Yet Jesus’ mighty deeds did not always lead them to faith. Instead, some responded with hostility. After Jesus healed a man with a withered hand, for example, the scribes and Pharisees “were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus” (Luke 6:11). Unable to deny Jesus’ works, his opponents sought another explanation for his authority: “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons” (Luke 11:15). Beelzebul was a name associated with Satan. The name originally referred to a Philistine deity worshiped at Ekron (see 2 Kings 1:2-16). The Jews later used a variant of the name mockingly in reference to Satan. Jesus exposes the absurdity of their accusation. If Satan were driving out Satan, his kingdom would be destroying itself. Jesus’ works reveal the opposite: a stronger kingdom is invading the kingdom of darkness. “But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20). The exorcisms of Jesus, therefore, are not merely demonstrations of power. They are signs that God’s reign has entered human history. In Jesus, the Kingdom of God has come to confront and overthrow the kingdom of Satan.
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Luke 11:23
These words are embedded within several powerful teachings of Jesus, but, in many ways, this single sentence can stand alone as an important Christian truth. Specifically, it tells us that we cannot be neutral in our position regarding Jesus and all that He has taught us. This is an important message in the world today.
Today, there seems to be a growing secular value that we might call “neutrality.” We are told by many in the world that we must accept any morality, any lifestyle, any choice that others make. And though it is true that we must always love and accept every person and treat them with the utmost dignity and respect, it is not true that we should be neutral to the choices and secular values that some choose to live and express. Sadly, when we do speak the full truth, especially the many moral truths our Lord has revealed, we are often labeled as judgmental. But this is not the truth.
This quote above from today’s Gospel makes it clear that we cannot remain indifferent to the teachings of our Lord and still remain in His good graces. In fact, Jesus makes it clear that the opposite is true. He says that if we are not with Him, meaning, if we do not accept all that He has revealed, then we are, in fact, against Him. Being neutral on matters of faith and morality is not actually being neutral at all. It’s a choice that some make that has the clear effect of separating them from Jesus.
For example, regarding matters of faith, if someone were to say, “I do not believe in the Eucharist,” then they are, in fact, rejecting God. And though it is not our duty to be their judge, it is our duty to acknowledge that they have expressed a belief contrary to the truth. They are in error, and if they persist in this error, then they do separate themselves from God. That’s what Jesus is saying.
The same is true regarding morality. There are many examples in the moral life that are becoming more and more blatant in their opposition to our Lord’s teaching. Thus, we must remind ourselves that when we reject a moral teaching given to us by our Lord, we reject Jesus Himself.
Jesus goes even further when He says that “whoever does not gather with me scatters.” In other words, it’s not enough to simply personally believe all that Jesus taught, we must also teach it to others. If we do not and if we, instead, offer a false form of “acceptance” of another’s error, then we are actually working against Jesus. We all have a moral duty to actively promote the truths of the Gospel given to us by our Lord.
Reflect, today, upon how fully you are “with” our Lord and “gather” with Him. Do you fully accept all that He has taught and also seek to gather many others for the Kingdom of God? If you do not see yourself actively believing in and participating in the mission of our Lord, then heed these words of Jesus and allow them to gently but firmly challenge you, so that you will more fully work to build up God’s Kingdom in your own heart and in the world all around you.
My glorious King, You desire to build up Your Kingdom in my life and, through me, in the lives of others. Give me the grace and courage I need to fully accept all that You have taught me and to actively become an instrument of Your grace and truth in the world. May I be with You in all things, dear Lord, and gather many into Your loving arms of grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
1. The Power behind Jesus’ Exorcisms: Jesus’ public ministry consisted of teaching the crowds about the Kingdom of God, healing the sick, raising the dead, fulfilling the Law and the prophets, forming his apostles to exercise authority, and driving out demons. The opponents of Jesus could not deny that he was doing wondrous things. Jesus’ mighty deeds didn’t bring them to faith, but to fury: “But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus” (Luke 6:11). They were desperate to explain the source of Jesus’ power and authority. They denied that Jesus’ power was divine, and so, they concluded, it must be demonic: “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons” (Luke 11:15). Beelzebul was a derogatory name for Satan. Originally, it was a philistine god worshiped at Ekron (2 Kings 1:2-16). It means, “Prince Baal,” but the Jews mockingly changed it to mean “Lord of the flies,” or “Lord of dung.”
In the Gospel reading Jesus contends with the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who claim that he drives out evil spirits by the power of Beelzebub. Clearly he was not driving out evil spirits by the power of Beelzebub, the chief of the evil spirits: if so, the kingdom of Satan is divided and will fall. And Jesus challenges his detractors: "But suppose I drive out demons by the finger of God, would not this mean that the kingdom of God has come upon you?" Due to their hardened hearts the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law have refused to see him as coming from God, despite his teaching and his wonderful works.
Today Jesus tells us that "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters." Jesus might have added in explanation: "He who does not help me carry the cross, actually makes it heavier; he who does not walk with me and talk with me and work with me and live with me, he surely is following someone else not me." Are we for Christ or against Him? Perhaps we can easily find out by asking ourselves: "Am I helping Christ to carry his cross?" Am I denying myself to be of help to others when they are in need?
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