<p>10:20 <i>And many of them said: He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to him?</i>- Madness was attributed to demon possession, and the language of casting out demons often effectively refers to curing mental illness. But &quot;has a demon and is mad&quot; suggests two separate, if related, things. This group of accusers were not simply saying that the Lord was mad. They were implying that His supposed possession by a demon meant that He was on the side of the cosmic enemies they supposed existed- and therefore, His words were madness. &quot;Listen&quot; here implies listening favourably. Clearly amongst the Jewish leadership there were some like Nicodemus and Joseph with some level of belief in Him; but it is a theme of John's Gospel that men must come out for the Lord, and not simply hold a level of quiet, positive view of Him somewhere deep within their hearts.</p>