And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and by the prince of the demons casts he out demons.
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Bede
AD 735
And blessed indeed the concourse of the crowd, flocking together, whose anxiety to obtain salvation was so great, that they left not the Author of salvation even an hour free to take food. But Him, whom a crowd of strangers loves to follow, His relations hold in littleesteem.For it goes on, “And when His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold upon Him. "For since they could not take in the depth of wisdom, which they heard, they thought that He was speaking in a senselessway.Wherefore it continues, “for they said, Heis beside Himself.”.
Now there is a great difference between those who do not understand the word of God from slowness of intellect, such as those who are here spoken of, and those who purposely blaspheme, of whom it is added, “And the Scribes which came down from Jerusalem” For what they could not deny they endeavour to pervert by a malicious interpretation, as if they were not the works of God, but of a most unclean spirit, that is, of Beelzebub, who was the God o...
But mystically, the houseto which they came, is the early Church. The crowds which prevent their eating bread are sins and vices; for he who eateth unworthily, “eateth and drinkethdamnation to himself.”
Vict. Ant.e Cat. in Marc.: Ungrateful indeed were the multitudes of princes, whom their pride hinders from knowledge, but the grateful multitude of the people came to Jesus.
That is, He has a devil and is mad, and therefore they wished to lay hold upon Him, that they might shut Him up as one who had a devil. And even His friends wished to do this, that is, His relations, perchance His countrymen, or His brethren. But it was a silly insanity in them, to conceive that the Worker of such great miracles of Divine Wisdom had become mad.