In today’s Gospel, Jesus is driving out demons. He’s helping people who are afflicted, and he’s getting rid of some demons. You would think people would be happy for this, but they’re not. They start messing with him again. Instead of being appreciative of the good work he is doing by getting rid of the demons, they accuse him of being in cahoots with the demons. They say the demons listen and obey him because he is a demon, maybe king of the demons to have such control over demons. But this is ridiculous. The people who are accusing him have their own exorcists who drive out demons. Are they saying their people are demonic as well? If it takes a demon to drive out a demon, what are they saying about themselves? But of course it does not take a demon to drive out a demon. It’s the opposite actually. Adding evil to evil only adds to the evil – it does not take it away. It’s like adding darkness to darkness makes it darker. It takes light to dispel darkness. It takes good to dispel evil. The demons would be strengthened by more demons, not dispelled by them.  And the demons want strongholds in these people. They do not want to be driven out. So the king of the demons would not be driving out demons, he would be strengthening the demons where they are. A house divided cannot stand. Satan would not try to get rid of the demons. That would be counter to his intentions.

Satan is evil and wants to strengthen his demons here. He will not drive out demons. Jesus drives out demons for good, by good, like lighting the darkness. And these people have to pick a side. Do they choose goodness and light and recognize that evil is dispelled by good, or do they choose to see evil and strengthen the evil. They can’t do both, and they can’t stay in the middle. Jesus says whoever is not for me is against me. He is doing good work, but the people are trying to make his good work into something evil. But evil begets more evil, and only good can overcome it and drive it out.