First Reading (Jeremiah 7:23-28)
Reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah.
Thus says the Lord: “I commanded the people, saying, ‘Listen to my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk in all the ways that I command you, that you may be happy.’ But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they walked backward and not forward, following the evil inclinations of their hearts, from the day their fathers came out of Egypt to this day. To all of them I sent my servants the prophets, and I sent them early each day, but they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they remained stubborn and did worse than their fathers. If you speak all these things, they will not listen; and if you call them, they will not answer you. Then you will say, ‘This is the nation that did not listen to the voice of the Lord their God, nor accept correction; their faith has died, it has been torn from their mouth.'”
– The word of the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
Gospel (Luke 11:14-23)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man began to speak, and the crowds were amazed. But some said, “It is by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that he drives out demons.” Others, to test Jesus, asked him for a sign from heaven. But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and one house will fall upon another. If Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? You say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore let them be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when a stronger man comes and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which he trusted, and divides up the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
— The Word of the Savior.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I want to start with a simple but deeply provocative image: imagine yourself on a road, walking, but suddenly you realize that the direction you are going is going nowhere. The signposts are there, but you ignore them, not understanding what is really happening. As you walk, the path becomes increasingly narrower, lonelier, and eventually leads you to a dead end. How would you feel? Frustrated? Disoriented? Maybe even lost?
This image helps us understand today’s readings. They speak directly about the risk of walking a path of self-sufficiency, of ignoring God’s signs and of trusting in our own judgments and pleasures, without paying attention to what God really asks of us. In Jeremiah, the prophet speaks firmly to us about the need to listen to the word of God and follow His will. Already in Luke’s Gospel, we see a confrontation between Jesus and those who, blinded by their pride, reject God’s signs, offering excuses and justifications for their lack of faith.
In the book of Jeremiah, God speaks to the people of Israel with strong words: “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Walk in every way that I command you, that it may go well with you.” But unfortunately, the people of Israel were far from following this advice. They had moved away from God, and, although He had given them all the necessary guidance, they preferred to follow their own paths, full of idolatry, injustice and disobedience.
This warning from Jeremiah resonates deeply with us as well. Many times, we prefer to trust our own wisdom, our own judgments, without listening to what God tells us. When we are facing difficulties, it seems easier to look for quick and satisfactory solutions, as if we could solve everything on our own. However, God calls us to obedience, not as a form of restriction, but as a path to true freedom. The word of God is not a prison, but an invitation to walk towards true peace and true happiness.
The prophet reminds us that, through our obstinacy and disobedience, we end up moving away from God and putting ourselves on a path of destruction. But at the same time, he offers us hope: obedience to God’s word will lead us to life. No matter how far we have strayed; There is still time to return, there is still a chance to start over. God does not abandon us, but constantly calls us to return to His love.
Now, let’s go to the Gospel of Luke, where we find a moment of confrontation between Jesus and some Pharisees. Jesus is healing a man possessed by a demon, and people begin to marvel at the miracle. However, some, instead of recognizing God’s work, accuse Jesus of casting out demons through the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons. What does this tell us about human nature? Sometimes, when God acts in extraordinary ways in our lives, instead of recognizing His power, we look for logical explanations and even seek to rationalize the unquestionable. We would rather remain in our comfort zone, where we don’t have to change anything, than allow God’s grace to transform us.
Jesus, with profound wisdom, responds to these accusations. He states: “If it is by Beelzebub that I cast out demons, then by whom do your children cast them out?” With this, Jesus reveals the incoherence of their reasoning and points to the reality that God’s power manifests itself, and when He acts, it is to restore and liberate. When we reject this power, we are, in effect, rejecting salvation itself.
And this is where the metaphor becomes clear: how can we expect a divided kingdom to remain standing? Jesus alerts us to the inconsistency of our actions. When we are divided, we cannot be strong. Unity with God is the basis of our strength. But, by rejecting His action, by not allowing Him to enter our lives and transform us, we are allowing chaos to take over our hearts.
Our heart, dear brothers, is like a home. If we don’t let God come in and clean up the mess, evil will continue to dominate. Jesus talks about an unclean spirit that comes out of a person and goes to dry places, and when he returns, he finds the house clean, but empty. If we do not fill our hearts with the presence of God, we will always be at the mercy of new evils. It’s our choice. We can let God come in and fill us, or we can continue to selfishly and proudly reject His presence.
Now, how can we apply this lesson to our lives? First, we need to examine our own attitudes and choices. Are we following God’s path, listening to His voice, or are we trying to go in our own strength, ignoring the signs and wisdom He offers us? Maybe it’s time to do some soul searching, to look at the areas of our lives that we need to surrender to the Lord. What are we holding with closed hands? What parts of our life are still far from God?
Secondly, we must remember that just as Jesus cast out the devil with His divine power, He also gives us the power to cast out evils in our lives. Through prayer, penance, and the sacraments, we can cleanse our inner house, allowing the Spirit of God to make His home in us. It’s not enough to just clean the house and leave it empty; we need to fill it with the presence of God, with His peace, His grace and His light.
Finally, Jesus invites us to unity. When we are united with Him, we are united with each other. Division, bitterness, sin, these are the forces that weaken our community. When we reject God, we reject unity and, with it, our spiritual strength. True union with God is reflected in our union with our brothers and sisters. If we are willing to follow God’s word, to obey His voice, our lives will be transformed. And as a result, our community will be stronger, more alive, and more filled with the love of Christ.
Let’s end with a prayer of surrender. Lord, we know that we are fragile and we often choose paths that take us away from You. We ask that, today, You come into our hearts and purify them, that You can give us the strength to follow Your paths. Free us from all division and make us more united in You and each other. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May each of us leave this place with an open heart, ready to follow God’s word, to be transformed by His grace and to be light in the world. God bless us and keep us!
