DECEPTION - OUR GREATEST ENEMY

“Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” - ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

Gospel Text: (MK 3:22-30)
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus,
“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and
“By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
“How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,
he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house.

Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies
that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”
For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Deceive - To mislead by giving a distorted impression or false sense of reality; to trick; to cheat; to beguile. Deception is being pacified and placated by what is not real resulting in pain and confusion from trusting false promises or believing a lie.

The greatest power that Satan possesses is the power of deception. He is the great deceiver.

I am afraid that today many of us govern our lives through the deceptions communicated by the current culture and these deceptions are so subtle that many are not even aware of them.

The strategy of deception:

1. Distort what God says by changing the emphasis

2. Bring into question God’s motive (always the result of twisted meaning)

3. Introduce reason that ultimately leads you to question God’s goodness and integrity.

....Once that’s accomplished it’s easy to turn you against God’s authority and His Church. We’re living in a time where there are more false prophets than ever before. Of course, there are more people than ever before but there is also more access to mass communication with TV, internet, cell phones, etc.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?” (Mt 7:15-16)