And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He has Beelzebul in Him,” and, “By the ruler of demons He casts out demons.”
Here the opposition reaches its darkest expression. Toward Christ’s evident goodness, holiness, and liberating power, the scribes not only raise doubts, but also try to attribute all of it to a satanic source. This is not merely a mistaken opinion, but a dangerous spiritual blindness. When a person knowingly or stubbornly calls the work of God the work of evil, he draws near to one of the most grievously sinful conditions. What they said is not only illogical, but also morally disastrous. They were seeing people set free, the sick healed, and the holy character of Christ, yet because of envy and hardness they chose the most detestable interpretation. This episode shows that the human heart can become so darkened that even the clearest light seems like darkness to them.