The Parables: Healing the blind, mute man possessed

Continuing with Fouard's life of Christ:

Chapter V: The Parables

Luke viii. 1-21; Mark iii. 20-35, iv. 1-34; Matt. Xii. 22-37, 46-50, xiii. 1-52.

The Public Life of Jesus might be divided into two periods: one would be that in which the Jews did not directly interfere with His Ministry; while during the latter epoch they actively attacked Him.  Up to this time the Master’s glory had known no diminution of its growing splendour in the eyes of the people; although Judaea rejected Him at the command of the Sanhedrin, He found a warm welcome awaiting Him in Galilee, and each succeeding day saw the throngs about Him increase in number and enthusiasm.  For a long time the efforts of the Sanhedrin's emissaries, who strove to stir up the populace against Him, were altogether fruitless; we have noticed at the banquet given by Simon how the power and popularity of Jesus then overawed the Pharisees themselves.  But now the hour had come for a complete change in the aspect of events; and hereafter the authority of the Lord begins to wane slowly and surely, until at last His enemies are again masters of the situation.

This reversal of affairs became most apparent during the second mission which the Saviour began in Galilee.  It is Saint Luke who tells us of these new journeyings, when Jesus travelled again through towns and hamlets spreading the good tidings of Salvation; but he does not relate any particular occurrences.  He simply notes the fact that the Twelve Apostles were with Him, and also certain Galilean women, of whom the greater number, if not all, "had been delivered by Him either from evil spirits or from other maladies.  These were Mary, called the Magdalen, Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's Steward, Susanna, and many others who aided Him with such goods as they had."

These saintly companions of the Christ were evidently of distinguished character both on account of their rank and their riches.  Of Susanna we know nothing more than her name, the gracefulest name of any borne by the daughters of Israel, since it recalls the white cup of the lily-flower.  As for Joanna, her husband's title would lead us to believe that she had been at the court of the Tetrarch before she set out to follow Jesus; yet having once devoted herself to the Lord, she never was unfaithful to her vows.  We shall find her again at the Sepulchre, still by the side of Mary Magdalen, with whom Saint Luke associates her here.

Among all the followers of the Christ, this last-named figure is known and loved the best.  We have seen how Tradition regards her as the penitent sinner, who came to the feast given by Simon.  This opinion would seem to be confirmed by Saint Luke himself, for he speaks of seven devils being driven out of the Magdalen; and seven may vary reasonably be considered as a symbolic number, chosen to denote the depth of degradation from which the Saviour rescued this saint-soiled creature.

The Holy Virgin is not named among the women who accompanied her Son; and hence we must presume that she was now living in retirement at Capharnaum.  During His sojourns at different times in that city, it would appear that Jesus did not always take up His abode with her; for after the second mission-journey, we find Him in a dwelling which certainly was not shared by any of His family.

As always happened about this time, the multitude would besiege Him in such numbers that Jesus and His disciples could "not even find time to take food." His kindred, hearing of this, entirely lost all self control.  "He is growing mad," they said, angrily, and thereupon took sides with the party who were abusing Him.  Though indeed there were two of their number chosen by the Christ to be among the Twelve, who were now bearing their share in His toils and His glory, yet the other children of Alpheus, whether from jealousy, or from dread of being involved in some trouble with the vindictive Sanhedrin, shut their eyes to the light, and not satisfied with simply treating Jesus as a madman, they resolved to lay hold upon Him and keep Him confined in their own house.

Healing the blind mute man possessed. J-J Tissot,

"So they started out from their home, and came thither to seize Him;" he adds they could not force their way into His presence, so densely packed were the masses of townsfolk about him!  Just at this moment, too, there was additional cause for excitement; for someone had brought Him a possessed fellow, who was blind and dumb as well, and Jesus cured him, so that the man spoke and saw.  And all the people were amazed and said,

"Is not to this the Son of David?"

But there were some Scribes from Jerusalem present.  Though for instant they were disconcerted by the cries of delight and wonderment, almost immediately they proceeded to whisper sly hints as usual, and began to disparage the miracle.

Why need anyone be surprised, said they, that this man should cast out the devils?  "He is himself possessed by Beelzebub;[1] he therefore commands them in the name of their Prince."
[1] Beelzebub is the name the Jews gave the prince of devils; it signifies "Lord of the Dung heap,"; "Prince of Abomination." We find this word infrequent use among the Talmudists when referring to idols, which in their eyes were veritable devils.  According to some scholars, the word should be taken and the sense of "house;" and in that case Beelzebub would mean " the Master of the Household," that is, of this world, which is his dwelling place.  The Septuagint, four Kings, one, too, and Josephus, translates this word by "Lord of the Flies," and it has been conjectured that this is the demon which was worshipped by the Philistines at Ekron, under the likeness of one of those Beatles which live in heaps of muck. 
Cf: OED: †5.  a. A familiar demon (from the notion that devils were accustomed to assume the form of flies). Obsolete.
1584   R. Scot Discouerie Witchcraft iii. xv. 65   A flie, otherwise called a diuell or familiar.
1612   B. Jonson Alchemist i. ii. sig. C   A riflng Fly: none o' your great Familiars.

Well knowing all their underhand dealings, Jesus summoned them to come nearer, and then said:

"Every kingdom divided against itself shall be made desolate; every city, every family, so divided shall not endure.  If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall he endure?"

By this the Lord does not deny that the kingdom of Satan is a state of Anarchy, but He rather insists upon the truth that it is from this single point of agreement, — their hatred of God, — that the divisions of Hell draw the principle of their existence; were this their one Note of unity to be lost, which is impossible, there would at once be an end of the Realm of Darkness.  By the fact of His rescuing the poor victim from the infernal powers Jesus showed that He was no minister of Satan; for "No one can enter a stronger man's dwelling and bear away goods without first having bound the man of might; only then can he pillage his house."

Again the Master retorts upon His enemies that their own disciples exorcised spirits in the name of Jehovah, just as He did, and hence their sons would be their judges, since they could testify that Hell yields obedience to other orders beside those of Beelzebub; wherefore if He, the Christ of the Lord, in His own Name and by the Spirit of God, put the fiends to flight, this indeed is proof that the Kingdom of God has really come."

Then in conclusion, Jesus called His faithful followers about Him.  "Whoever is not with Me," said the Lord, "is against Me, and whoever gathereth not with Me scattereth."

The Scribes had also accused Jesus of having "and unclean spirit." What did they mean by this term?  Was it in allusion to His contempt for Pharisaic ablutions or to His tenderness towards sinners?  It is quite impossible to say; but we know that this calumny aroused His wrath, since it called from him that a dreadful warning of eternal death,

"I say unto you, every scene, every blasphemy, shall be forgiven men; but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven.  And whoever shall have spoken against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him; but the man who has spoken against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven, either in this world or in the other."[2]

In Saint Matthew's account the reply of the Lord is reported more at length.  He told His slanderers that they ought at least to be consistent with themselves, and should judge the tree by its fruits.  If He did actually drive out devils, why did they not acknowledge the fact?  The tree is good which bears good fruit.  And yet, after all, no one need be amazed at their blasphemies, for the mouth speaks from the fullness of the heart; and assuredly these creatures, this brood of vipers, could not fail to poison their speech with the venom of malice.

[2] Jesus could see into the wicked minds of His enemies had clearly enough; it was not from any ignorance of the Truth that they strove against Him; but they were now boldly blaspheming, recognizing the Presence of God and of His Christ, and face to face with His wondrous works so manifestly Divine, and consequently seeing the enormity of their blasphemy, yet persisting in it notwithstanding.  This then was that dreadful sin against the Holy Ghost which cannot obtain pardon, because of itself it dries up life at the fountain-head, and withstands every movement of the Spirit of Grace which strives to quicken it again to a right feeling.  In order to save the heart so bent upon evil, it would be necessary to force man's freedom of will; but God always stops at the threshold of that inviolable sanctuary of the soul.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam