Divided or United? // Mark 3:25
Mark 3:25 (NIV) | If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
What immediately comes to mind when you read today’s verse? For me, it was studying Abraham Lincoln’s speech during his senatorial campaign while I was in school. He was misunderstood at the time thinking he was calling for Civil War to end slavery, according to scholars; rather, Lincoln was emphasizing the thought that some could be free in the US while others were not could eventually cause the union to dissolve.
I later realized that Lincoln was quoting the Bible when he made that memorable speech. The context in Mark 3 was how Jesus healed people and was accused of using demonic powers to do so. The charge against Jesus was He was something akin a chief demon exercising his authority over lesser demons. Jesus espoused the wisdom that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
Ultimately, Jesus was pointing to a future hope that Lincoln channeled in his speech and later in his presidency. Jesus knew that humanity’s bent toward sinning was enslaving us to the power and dominion of the devil. Since Christ came to give life and life abundantly (John 10:10), He was essentially giving people a choice: stay ensnared by sin or accept His offer of salvation through forgiveness of sin. This was emphasized in what we know as Mark 3:28 when Jesus is recorded as saying, “Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter“.
Will you choose to live under the devil’s dominion or God’s grace? You can’t stay with a foot in each camp…you must choose. The choice is yours, and in choosing Christ, you will be united with Him forever!
