Jesus, “The Lord of the Flies?”

Pastor Bill Francis, Morello Hills Christian Church (Martinez)

During my formative years in a sophomore English class, we read the classic novel “Lord of the Flies.” I assume the creators of the current TV drama “Lost” are also familiar with this dark, insightful novel about the evil capacity of mankind. The title “Lord of the Flies” actually comes right out of the Bible, as it is the meaning of the word “Beelzebub” used to describe Satan in today’s passage. Here in a desperate and shockingly blasphemous moment the “teachers of the law” accuse Jesus of actually being possessed by “Beelzebub” – Satan. This seems pretty low, even for these guys. In fact (and this might be even more shocking), Jesus’ very own family is saying that Jesus is “out of his mind!” These two reactions in the midst of a house crammed full of people are kind of like a scene from “Lord of the Flies.”