A Bible commentator raised this statement of Christians being “intelligently impotent” and living the “myth of religious neutrality”. It may sound quite harsh to criticize in this manner. But it is worthwhile to reflect on these comments as we look into this passage. Here Jesus met a blind and mute who was also demon-possessed. It was a case of a symbolic miracle of healing sight and speech, and power over supernatural forces. A miracle that is more than just healing, it pointed to divine authority.

Let us consider the Pharisees’ reactions and then reflect on what are the present-day Christians’ responses. The Pharisees on seeing Jesus’ prowess to perform many miracles had lingering doubts as to this power being from God. It was surely not possible in their cultivated and trained religious minds that the Son of David would be associating with the enemy, the Roman centurion, and healed his daughter; and socially interacting with tax collectors, sinners and adulterers. Hence they denounced Jesus and concluded that his powers must be of Beelzebub, the prince of demons, as the prince of demons has great and extensive powers too.

This can be a rather difficult conundrum for some Christians. We hesitate to over-emphasize the demonic and try to avoid the subject. But there is a greater danger in underestimating and not taking seriously the threat of the “powers of this dark world” and the “spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:12). In reality, the apostle Paul teaches that our fight is not against flesh and blood but against the “schemes of the devil” and he is now “at work in the sons of disobedience”.

Do we bury our heads in the ground, when confronted with Jesus’ and the apostle Paul’s teachings on the prince of this world? Do we avoid it or even, not believe it is true and real? We are intelligently impotent when we act oblivious of its power and influence – when we don’t realize that we are fighting unseen spiritual forces. The Pharisees knew it but they were on the wrong side. For us, Jesus puts it this way – “he who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters”. (Matthew 12:30). We cannot be neutral; we are either on Jesus’ side or on the side of the prince of this world.