WHO ARE WE IMITATING?

Jeremiah reminds us today that we ought to follow God's commands. He even reminded us of the day His people left the land of Egypt. God has done wonders and miracles as in Exodus 8:15 "the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." Yet Pharaoh remained obstinate and would not listen to them, just as the LORD had foretold." Plagues overwhelm the magicians of Egypt. Each of the plagues were all attached to Egyptian deities like frogs and flies. By using these plagues God has clearly demonstrated His power to defeat Egypt and showed that their gods is not god at all. We should not be lacking in understanding how great the power of God is and finally come to our senses that our faith should rely on the one true God alone. Amen. Hallelujah!

Jeremiah 7:23-28
23 Thus says the LORD: This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. 24 But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me. 25 From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day, I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets. 26 Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed; they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers.

Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
R: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
...For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.


We have to make a decision to be with Christ. God is the Good Shepherd. He will not scatter but draw people to holiness, righteousness and goodness. Amen. Hallelujah!

Exorcism of demons is part of Jesus’ ministry. In today's gospel people were amazed at how Jesus was able to cast out evil spirits. These various evil gods and demons are a real presence at the time of Jesus and appear to rule even in the ancient world. The crowd is looking for a sign and they have seen enough to bring them to amazement but with it go together, the blindness and the hardness of the heart. This is a perennial problem when people see what God is trying to do but because of the hardness of heart it just won’t sink in. We have to examine our conscience and should ask ourselves what are the signs of the presence of God in our life. How are we paying attention or listening to the signs that God gives us. This is the call of today’s readings. Christ answered His critics in the gospel that every kingdom divided against itself will be laid to waste. Is satan divided against itself? Do we think that satan will tolerate a civil obedience in his kingdom? The answer of course is that satan is not divided against itself, he won’t tolerate that. He will terrorize and make people absolutely frightened to make them follow his bidding. This is satan's way. As God works in His mercy, satan operates through terror. Who are we imitating? There is no doubt that God can defeat Satan and has already shown this since time immemorial to all generations. Jesus' ability to cast out demons is similar to God casting out the power of Egypt. Christ is using the power of God to liberate his people. He is the new Moses. He is doing a great liberation from delivering us from satan and sin. Like the multiplication of the loaves and the manna from heaven. Christ is leading and invading the power of evil and bringing the kingdom of God into the presence of this darkness, to Israel and the whole world to gain freedom of the demonic. In His short parable in the gospel he likened a strong man and his army to satan and his devils. He controlled people’s lives and continue to debilitate and deform human nature. We are made in the image and likeness of God but he distorts this image because that’s his goal. There are other ways he does this, through violence and any of the capital sins. He uses the lust industry and distorts human love. This demonic distortion is what Christ wants to conguer. The violence, oppression, anger, lust and the capital sins are all part of the distortion but Jesus has overcome and the forces of evil are defeated. He can take souls away from the clutches of evil but He sets a challenge for us. He said that whoever is not with me is against me. We see so many forces of the anti Christ in the world today through violence, avarice and sex which are very rampant. They are the demonic devices and ways which the evil one works. We should make a decision to always be for Christ and not compromise with the enemy. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 11:14-23
14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute person spoke and the crowds were amazed. 15 Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” 16 Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. 17 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. 18 And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. 19 If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. 22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”