“Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

luke 11:23

Luke 11:14-23

Reflection

Jesus drives out a mute demon and the people say that by the power of Beelzebul he does so. But Jesus states that if he drives out demons by Satan’s power, then Satan’s kingdom is divided and won’t stand. Likewise, Jesus gives an analogy of a strong man with a guarded palace being overcome by an even stronger person.

Jesus says that whoever is not with him is against him. We can’t stand up to the power of God and believe we’ll remain standing. Being against Jesus is a sure way to fail – he is our Lord. Sometimes we feel like rejecting him for a number of reasons, but we can’t let that lack of logic be our downfall.

Jesus loves each of us dearly and wants us to always follow and trust him. Do not let pride, ambition, or worldly goals get in the way of your relationship with him. You only win when you stand with Jesus, and always lose when you don’t.

Pray that you always follow the Lord, even when you don’t understand or want to. He will increase your faith and trust if you let him.

---

Saint of the Day

St. Rupert: died AD 718

St. Rupert was the bishop of Worms, Germany, and spread the faith among the German people. He eventually took over the modern town of Salzburg, Austria, and founded religious institutions there.   St. Rupert, pray for us!