Posted by JonAst msc at Thursday, October 11, 2007 | Categorized as daily reflection
Mark 3:22 is translated as “He is in the power of Beelzebul.” But what Mark says is, “He has Belelzebul,” (Beelzeboul echei), or as other translations put it, “Beelzebul is in him,” (Jerusalem Bible) or “He is possessed by Beelzebul” (Revised Standard Version and New International Version). Luke and Matthew omit this verse, horrified (probably) at the very thought of Beelzebul being “in” Jesus. Mark says it was the scribes, Matthew says it was the Pharisees, but Luke says it was “some people”, who were making malicious statement about Jesus. But sheer malice does not have the doubts that other people have. It is easy to believe that they really claimed that Jesus was possessed. Malice, someone said, is the ordinary vice of those who have the manner of religion without its spirit. Religion without the spirit of religion brings out the worst in people; there is no quite so bitter as a bitter religious person, no war as evil as a religious war. It was they themselves, the detractors of Jesus (whoever they were) who were possessed
Mark 3:22 is translated as “He is in the power of Beelzebul.” But what Mark says is, “He has Belelzebul,” (Beelzeboul echei), or as other translations put it, “Beelzebul is in him,” (Jerusalem Bible) or “He is possessed by Beelzebul” (Revised Standard Version and New International Version). Luke and Matthew omit this verse, horrified (probably) at the very thought of Beelzebul being “in” Jesus. Mark says it was the scribes, Matthew says it was the Pharisees, but Luke says it was “some people”, who were making malicious statement about Jesus. But sheer malice does not have the doubts that other people have. It is easy to believe that they really claimed that Jesus was possessed. Malice, someone said, is the ordinary vice of those who have the manner of religion without its spirit. Religion without the spirit of religion brings out the worst in people; there is no quite so bitter as a bitter religious person, no war as evil as a religious war. It was they themselves, the detractors of Jesus (whoever they were) who were possessed
