It is astonishing how Jesus polarised opinion. The same action was seen by different people who came to radically different conclusions. When a demonised person was brought to Jesus, the man was unable to see or talk. When he left, the man had perfect sight and could talk normally. The difference only came through the encounter with Jesus. Naturally, everybody was amazed. It was miraculous.
 
Yet even this good change divided opinion. Some thought Jesus might be the promised Messiah (Christ), the Son of David ... in other words, the person who has the right to be the King of the Jews. But the Pharisees disagreed. They acknowledged His power but refused to give God the glory. Their explanation was that Jesus was demonised, and that Satan had allowed Him to cast out lesser demons!
 
Why did the religious leaders come to such an absurd conclusion? Perhaps because they were afraid that Jesus might lead a rebellion against the Romans, who would strip them of their authority over the people. Perhaps because they were envious of the power of Jesus and felt that the people trusted Him more than them. Whatever their reason, they were rebelling against God in refusing to honour His Son (Luke 10:16). Attributing the power of God to Satan is great wickedness (Mark 3:22-30).
 
Even within families and close communities, people can come to very different conclusions about Jesus. They may have the same information about Him but some will love Him while others ignore or even hate Him. The reason for those differences lies in the heart; their choice to welcome or resist the rule of Jesus over their lives. That is not a morally neutral choice - it leads to heaven or hell. Some say that if they had seen Christ's miracles, they would have believed. The Pharisees didn’t. True faith in Jesus involves being willing to let Him be King ... and that is a daily challenge which is impossible for the person who will not accept that Jesus has the right to rule over them.