“Repent and believe in the Gospel.” We heard these words as we received ashes on Ash Wednesday. These words are taken from the first words of Jesus’ public ministry: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15). Jesus preached this good news and embodied this good news through healings and exorcisms. As we hear in today’s Gospel, some of his opponents could not deny that a healing or exorcism had taken place. Instead of rejoicing in this good news they doubled down on their attack by accusing Jesus of being in league with the devil.
What is Jesus’ response? He refuses to demonize His opponents in turn. Instead, He tries to reason with them and show them how illogical their position is: “If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out?” Instead, Jesus calls them to recognize God’s presence in their midst: “But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” God’s finger is reaching out to heal and save, God’s finger is reaching out to all. God’s will is not to demonize the other but to sanctify the other. Do I see the image of God in the other? Do I recognize their holiness or do I make a mockery of those with whom I disagree and demonize them?
Pope Francis has called attention to these modern distortions and to the demonization of others that has taken place during the pandemic: “We can hardly fail to see that these days, in addition to the pandemic, an ‘infodemic’ is spreading: a distortion of reality based on fear, which in our global society leads to an explosion of commentary on falsified if not invented news.” Some of those who distort reality have even accused nurses, doctors, and scientist of being in league with the devil. We need to turn away from this hateful and sinful rhetoric and turn to our loving and healing God. May the finger of God reach out and change our hearts and heal each one of us.