A Meditation on Mark 3:20-35

It was not the best of days for Jesus. In the Gospel reading this past Sunday we get a glimpse of some of the negativity that Jesus constantly had to endure. It begins with the members of his own family who “set out to seize him, ‘because they thought he was out of his mind.’” Later in the day, the scribes from Jerusalem declared, “He is possessed by Beelzebul and by the prince of demons he casts out demons.” By this time Jesus had had about enough foolishness and calls out the false logic of the religious leaders. He asks, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” —Mark 3:22-25

Jesus points out that it makes no sense for his mighty works to come from Satan. His works bind Satan and build up the kingdom of God. If the mighty works he performs come from Satan and not from the Father, it is only a matter of time before Satan’s house and kingdom crumble. The principle is true also for the kingdom of God. If God’s house is divided and working against itself it is only a matter of time before it too crumbles. This must have been especially frustrating for Jesus as he constantly tried to build the kingdom of God and was forever being attacked by those who should have been supporting him and even by the members of his own family.

Our nation just celebrated Memorial Day. We remember those who loved this country and what it stands for more than they loved their own lives. They loved the vision of a country that recognized all men were created equal and endowed by their creator with the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. True, the country hasn’t always lived up to that vision, but the vision is still amazing. The vision is still so attractive that the rest of the world longs to come here.

One of the great stories of WW2 is the tale of the Tuskegee Airmen. WW2 was a time in our history in which blacks in the Army Air Corps were not treated fairly. They loved their country and wanted to serve by being pilots. They were discriminated against and thought not fit to be pilots. Eventually, they earned the right to be trained and to fly. A fighter unit comprised of all black pilots was sent to escort bombers over Germany. In the past, many fighters abandoned the bombers trying to get “kills” on German fighters. The Tuskegee Airmen stayed with the bombers and not a single one was lost to enemy fighters. They continued to prove themselves and served with distinction and honor.

This is a great story. A story of those who while being discriminated against, still loved the vision of this country enough to endure insult and live into their rightful place in our history. Their perseverance, courage, and honor in the face of adversity are the mortar that holds the building blocks of this country together. They handled adversity in the same way that Christ handled it. They met anger and hate with forgiveness and grace. May we remember them beside so many others that helped build our nation like the Buffalo Soldiers, the Navajo Code Talkers, and the Women’s Air Corps. May their perseverance and love of the United States serve as role models to us all. And may we remember the words of our Lord, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

†Bp. Mark