Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
In the Gospel today, Jesus is accused of casting out demons with the help of demons. The response of the Lord is strikingly logical, instructive, and revelatory in a way that is profoundly rich.
To paraphrase, Jesus responds to his accusers by telling them, “You cannot logically defeat Satan by siding with Satan. You defeat by opposing him with a power that is greater than his. I am this power, and I am robbing his palace as we speak. Since the Fall of Man, Satan has worked to become the Lord of the Earth. He desires all people to be his slaves. He has made vice and sin and darkness his stronghold in this world. But I am here to free you. I have kicked down the gate and bound the powers of Hell. I have stripped them of their might. I am plundering their stronghold by freeing souls from their grasp. The spoils I offer to all are freedom and new life in God’s eternal glory.”