Jesus Binds The Strong Man and Makes Us His Bride

In tomorrow’s gospel passage for Mass, the scribes say of Jesus that, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons” (Mark 3:22). Jesus indicates that, by saying this, they have committed the sin against the Holy Spirit. The classic understanding of the unforgivable sin is final impenitence, dying without repenting of a serious sin. Repentance requires truth to know one’s sins. The Holy Spirit enlightens our minds and hearts to know our sin. The Holy Spirit is integral in both knowing the truth and repenting of sin. One sins against the Holy Spirit when, at one’s death, one either refuses to acknowledge the truth of one’s sins or fails to turn away from those sins or both.

The scribes in this passage call the All-Good God the evil one; they ascribe as completely evil what is the epitome of good. By exercising such extremely bad judgment in such important matters, the scribes have become “blind guides.” They can no longer tell what is good and what is bad, even if it is purely good or purely bad. They are utterly blind in what matters most. Having thus depraved themselves to such an extent, calling what is good evil and what is evil good, as long as they continue on this path, they have no hope for salvation. To be forgiven, one needs to repent; to repent, one needs to see the truth of one’s sins; to see the truth about one’s sins, one needs the Holy Spirit; refusing to see the most obvious and easily recognizable good, evicts the Holy Spirit from one’s soul. The scribes are on the path to hell, and only by their humble crying out for light from the Holy Spirit to see their sins and then their humble admission of their faults, will they have hope for salvation.

Jesus goes on to make a very interesting explanation to the scribes’ accusation; he says that, “No one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house” (Mark 3:27). Satan is the prince of this world, and he has a certain domination over mankind enslaved to sin. He desires to lead as many people to hell as possible; he desires our destruction and the utter diminution of our lofty dignity. Satan’s work is spreading despair and death and stealing the spouse of God away from Him.

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). The devil is the strong man whom Jesus comes and binds so that He can plunder his house. In the state of original sin into which everyone is born, Satan has an ownership of us; we are part of the belongings of his house. Jesus came to bind this strong tyrannical ruler and to set us free; the Old Testament image and prefigurement is God freeing the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt to pharaoh.

In Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, He has bound the strong man and plundered his house. In baptism, we are set free from sin and Satan so that we can belong to Jesus; every Eucharist is a celebration of our baptism for we were baptized into Jesus’ death, and the Eucharist is Jesus’ crucified and risen flesh, particularly His heart flesh. “Likewise, my brethren, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4). Jesus has bound the strong man, the tyrant who was our cruel slave master, and set us free to be united to Him. Jesus has plundered Satan’s house so that He can be our Spouse and unite us to Himself, making us fruitful for God.

Thanks for reading and your prayers.
Copyright 2007.
All rights reserved.

Repentance "Imprisons" Jesus In Our Heart

There is a connection in two passages from today’s and tomorrow’s Mass readings. In today’s entrance antiphon, it says: “I will raise up for myself a faithful priest; he will do what is in my heart and in my mind, says the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:35). This passage has a connection to the Gospel for Sunday’s Mass when Jesus begins His ministry and starts to preach: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:18).

The connection between these two passages is that they both have to do with the heart. The heart has a connection to my theory because the tree of life in the Garden of Eden is the heart. We have life when we are united with He Who Lives; we eat from the tree of life when we love, trust and obey God; when our heart turns back to God, when we repent, then we do what is in God’s heart to do. With a heart connected to God, our mind and heart conforms to God’s heart and mind.

The passage from 1 Samuel 2 proclaims the condemnation of the priest Eli and his family for not being faithful to God and for only being concerned with what was to their personal benefit: they did not care for God or others. God rejects them, and He says He will raise up for Himself a new, faithful priest who will do what God would have him do. Immediately following this prophecy, God calls Samuel and reveals Himself to the boy. Samuel is the new, faithful priest who will please the heart and mind of God.

Jesus begins His public preaching with the call to repent. Repentance means a turning back, and it signifies our hearts turning back to God. We have forsaken God and sought after ourselves like Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, and we need to turn our hearts back to God like Samuel. Our hearts are meant to be a holy home for Almighty God, and so our hearts first have to turn back in love to our Maker to receive His life and love.

Jesus says two closely related items: the first is “repent,” and the second is, “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Insofar as we turn our hearts to God again, insofar as we open ourselves to Him once more, He comes to dwell in our hearts. Where He dwells, there is heaven. Thus, repentance is the doorway to the kingdom of heaven. Heaven will forever remain unattainable as long as repentance is missing. Repentance is the all-powerful act whereby even the gates of heaven cannot resist its abilities. The repentant heart is the home for Jesus, whom it makes its permanent prisoner, and Jesus said of this heart which turns in love to Him, “Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38). Living waters flow out of the tree of life.

Thanks for reading and your prayers.
Copyright 2007.
All rights reserved.