Jesus Drives Out Demons
14Jesus drove out a demon, which was mute. After the demon had gone out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. 15But some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16Others were testing him by demanding of him a sign from heaven. 17But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed. And a house divided against itself falls. 18If Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? You say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19But if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So they will be your judges. 20Yet if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22But when someone stronger attacks him and defeats him, he takes away that man's full armor, in which he had trusted, and divides up his plunder.
23“The one who is not with me is against me. The one who does not gather with me scatters. 24When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, but does not find any. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house, the one I left.’ 25When it returns, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and dwell there. The last condition of that man becomes worse than the first.”
The Sign of Jonah
27While he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you, and the breasts at which you nursed!”
28But he said, “Even more blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
29As the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It is seeking a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look, one greater than Solomon is here. 32The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look, one greater than Jonah is here.
A Lamp and a Lampstand
33“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hidden place or under a basket, but on a stand so that those who come in may see the light. 34Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is good, your whole body is full of light. But when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35Therefore, see to it that the light that is in you is not darkness. 36So if your whole body is full of light, without any dark part, it will be completely full of light, as when a lamp shines on you with bright light.”
