17
He did this so as to make come true what God had said through the prophet Isaiah:
18
"Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,
1 the one I love, and with whom I am pleased. I will send my Spirit upon him, and he will announce my judgment to the nations.
19
He will not argue or shout, or make loud speeches in the streets.
20
He will not break off a bent reed, nor put out a flickering lamp. He will persist until he causes justice to triumph,
21
and on him all peoples will put their hope."
22
Then some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind and could not talk because he had a demon. Jesus healed the man, so that he was able to talk and see.
23
The crowds were all amazed at what Jesus had done. "Could he be the Son of David?" they asked.
24
When the Pharisees heard this, they replied, "He drives out demons only because their ruler Beelzebul gives him power to do so."
2
25
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and so he said to them, "Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each other will not last very long. And any town or family that divides itself into groups which fight each other will fall apart.
26
So if one group is fighting another in Satan's kingdom, this means that it is already divided into groups and will soon fall apart!
27
You say that I drive out demons because Beelzebul gives me the power to do so. Well, then, who gives your followers the power to drive them out? What your own followers do proves that you are wrong!