September 10, 2023: Who is the Enemy? - Michael Hidalgo

Jesus presents the religious with a new vision of who he was and what he was going to do in their midst. He uses violent language: "break-in," "tie up," "plunder," which are all illegal activities; yet this is the metaphor Jesus uses, digging into his opponents with this language. He is not simply disagreeing; he is pointing out that they are complicit in the Kingdom that will fall … along with its “house” (a seeming reference to the temple).  In Jesus' time, it was believed that when Israel lost its independence that God relegated the rule of Israel to earthly powers – to the devil and his angels. While it seems that Jesus is speaking philosophically and mythologically, he may also be making a bold statement about the coming destruction of Israel. Jesus, it seems, is going about binding up the strong man, and cleaning house. And what exactly is he “plundering” – Jesus is answering a question posed by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 49: “Can plunder be taken from a warrior …?” God’s reply is a firm “yes.” And the plunder are the captives who are set free.