mind games
"He is out of His mind." —Mark 3:21
When Jesus' family and friends said He was "out of His mind," this was a Jewish way of saying that Jesus was possessed by the devil. Some religious leaders concurred with this judgment when they "asserted, 'He is possessed by Beelzebul' " (Mk 3:22).
Have you ever been accused of being possessed by the devil? If so, you may understand how Jesus felt. Jesus' Passion did not begin on Calvary. Even at the early part of His public ministry, Jesus was being brutally wounded. Jesus revealed Himself "to destroy the devil's works" (1 Jn 3:8), but was accused of being the devil's pawn. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn 14:6), but was maligned as a puppet in the hands of "the father of lies" (Jn 8:44) and "the prince of death" (Heb 2:14). Jesus must have felt disgusted at such blasphemies, but continued to pray: "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing" (Lk 23:34). Finally, He died for those wounding and hating Him. He died for us.
Repent! Tell Him you're sorry. Tell Him you love Him. Praise Him as Savior, Lord, and God. We will go out of our minds and be possessed by the devil forever unless we love Jesus with all our hearts.
Prayer: Father, forgive me.
Promise: "Rouse Your power, and come to save us." —Ps 80:3
Praise: St. Agnes was a young teenager when she sacrificially gave her life in martyrdom for her Beloved. She went cheerfully to her beheading, knowing she'd soon be with her Bridegroom.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our leaflet Accepting Jesus as Lord, Savior, and God or our audio AV 43-1 or video V-43.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 27, 2011
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