Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, "could this be the Son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons." Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do you people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ies up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house."

- Jesus' statement that a "household divided against itself will not stand" is a profound truth with very practical application. Think of a soccer team aiming for two different goals or two parents teaching their children contradicting lessons. It just does not work. It will only lead to confusion and failure. When we say we are on God's team, we need to be all in. We will not reap the wonderful fruit of the Spirit if we only follow some of God's teachings but not all of them. We cannot experience the fullness of His love if we say we love Him and then constantly prioritize other things like schoolwork and friends over Him. Jesus calls us to have undivided hearts that are fully committed to Him.

"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for eery empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

- Jesus uses very strong language here as He responds to the Pharisees' accusations. He calls them "evil" and a "brood of vipers," and He condemns them for speaking against the Holy Spirit. This may seem harsh, but think a little more about what these Pharisees are saying. They have just witnessed God's amazing power to heal and then credit that power to Satan. This is the worst kind of blasphemy as it shows utter contempt for God and His work. If you are unsure whether something you have experienced or witnessed is of God or not, do not be quick to judge. Pray and ask God for wisdom to discern the situation.