Mark 3:24-26

Passage

Jesus gives some well-known truth.  If a kingdom is divided against itself, it will not stand.  If a household is divided against itself it will not stand.  If Satan himself has come up and has divided his power, then he cannot stand and His kingdom is coming to an end.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

This first point really strikes me today.  A nation divided against itself cannot stand.  A body of people who are united in name only but not united in the underlying principles simple cannot continue to exist.  It will have weaknesses.  Internal division will continue to cause it to crack and crumble.  Outsiders will have an easier time making war because the internal stress will give an avenue for destruction.  We know this as a country.  In the span of the last century alone, America has been quick to enter into other countries where there is political unrest and exert our influence so that “the side that agrees with us” has the best chance of winning.  I’m not placing a judgment on that reality; I am simply stating that it has happened frequently.  When a nation is divided, it cannot stand.  We could stand to learn that lesson.

What do you think about the climate in America (or whichever nation you happen to live if not America)?  Is the nation divided?  How deep do the divisions run?  How dangerous are those divisions?

Second Thought:

Furthermore, if a household is divided against itself it cannot stand.  When family members begin to stray from the family values, the family fractures.  When people in a family begin to pursue different goals, the family fractures.  You could even apply this to churches.  When the values of a given church begin to change and multiple visions are followed, the church fractures.  People cannot stay united if it is only a family name or a congregational building that is keeping them together.  It is our values and our beliefs that will bind us together; it is our values and beliefs that will also drive us apart.

What does this passage seem to be reminding us about teaching within our families (and other community structures)?  What does this passage seem to be telling us about where we should really place the importance in our lives?

Third Thought:

If Satan is divided against himself, he will fall.  The adversaries of God – all that is evil in this world – will fall when they work against each other.  Satan knows this.  Satan would not allow one area of His influence to work against another area of His influence.  That would be counterproductive.  Jesus is saying here that Satan would not allow Jesus to cast out Satan’s own minions.  What purpose would it serve to have Jesus destroy what Satan has already worked hard to achieve?  There would be no purpose.  To claim that Jesus is working for Satan is simply ridiculous.

How does it make you feel to hear Jesus talk about Satan as a very real presence and influence within this world?  Have you ever thought about the fact that there are people working for Satan’s agenda in this world?  How is it that we separate ourselves from them and serve God in order to work against them?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 3:27