MPV Commentary

Malignant Explanation Put upon It.

The precise time of this section is uncertain. Judging from Mark's introduction, it appears to be when Jesus' popularity was approaching its zenith, before the feeding of the five thousand. However, the advanced state of the charges brought against Jesus and His warnings in reply suggest a later period, as seen in Luke's account.

22 Then a man possessed by a demon was brought to Him, blind and mute. Jesus healed him, so that he could both speak and see.

23 The crowd was amazed, and they asked, "Is this the Son of David?" They were indicating their secret impression that He must be the Messiah, but they saved themselves from the wrath of the ecclesiastics by not directly asserting it.

24 When the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons by God's power, but by Beelzebub, the prince of demons." They were unable to deny Jesus' miracles and believed in an organized kingdom of evil under one chief. This was a desperate attempt to discredit Him.

25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be brought to desolation; and every city or household divided against itself cannot stand."

26 If Satan casts out Satan, his kingdom is divided against itself, so how can it stand? The argument here is clear: no organized society can survive when turned against itself.

27 Jesus continued, "And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out?" He seemed to admit that the Pharisees' disciples were performing similar works, which would condemn them as expressed in Luke (11:19), "Therefore shall they be your judges."

28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. This means that Jesus is the Destroyer of Satan's kingdom, and His power is already present among them.

29 Or else how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods without first binding the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.

30 He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad. This parable emphasizes the importance of being on Jesus' side or against Him.

31 Therefore, I say to you that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men. The word "blasphemy" refers to detraction or slander directed against God or men. However, the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven unto men.

32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this world or in the world to come.

33-35 Jesus then used a parable to illustrate His point. He said, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." A good person brings forth good things from their heart, while an evil person brings forth evil things.

36 But I say to you that every idle word men shall speak will be taken account of in the day of judgment. Jesus emphasized that words are a reflection of one's character and will be judged accordingly.