She
prepared hastily for the trip, greatly relieved to be doing something
about her strange son Jesus.

Upon arriving at Capernaum, Mary and Jude went directly to the home of
Simon where they knew Jesus stayed. They found the courtyard crowded.
Mary was dismayed.

"Don't worry," said Jude. "He will come when I tell him you are here
waiting for him." He began to shove through the tightly packed people.
There were angry murmurs, but Jude paid no attention. As he got farther
into the courtyard he could hear a man shouting angrily. _That's not
Jesus' voice_, he thought. Finally he reached a place where he could see
his brother.

Behind Jesus stood some of the disciples who had already returned from
their mission. All around him were sick and lame people, but he was not
healing them. He was standing silently before the man whose harsh voice
Jude had heard. The man was completely out of control of himself. Jude
couldn't see why he was so angry, but he thought this must have been
going on for some time.

"Who is the angry one?" he asked a bystander.

"Some scribe."

The scribe had almost run out of breath, but Jesus still said nothing.
Irritated by Jesus' silence, he threw a final accusation at him.

"You false prophet! You are a complete fake!"

A man in the crowd suddenly cried out: "He is not false! He tells us the
truth as no man ever did."

"He has brought healing to many," added another. "How could he do that
if he were not sent from God?" Others nodded.

The angry scribe turned on the man. "Many magicians can heal and drive
out demons! I can show you a hundred right here in Galilee who can do
anything he can! Bah! This prophet of yours is a fake!"

The man did not know what to answer. "I'll tell you why he can drive out
demons," snapped the enraged scribe. "I'll tell you! The prince of all
demons has got hold of him! That's why he can do it!" Scornfully he
drove home his point. "Why shouldn't he be stronger than the demons? He
is possessed by Satan himself."

Simon flushed. The charge was crude and ridiculous. He opened his mouth
to deny it, but he realized he could not. How could he prove the scribe
wrong? Simon's anger turned to shame.

Jesus' voice was calm and controlled, when at last he spoke. "Would
Satan cast out his own helpers?" he asked the man, coolly. There was a
touch of sarcasm in his voice. "A nation divided within itself will
fall! Has Satan risen up against himself and given me power to