Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.” 27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
There are many things in the Christian life, many things in YOUR life that you will talk about with great familiarity as if such things are second nature to you, a given, so obvious that they barely need mentioning…but in reality alludes you.
For example, prayer. Christians love to talk about prayer, study prayer, proclaim the necessity of prayer, how this is the lifeblood of the church. The only thing we don’t do well is pray. Or what about faith? We all know the importance of faith; we say it all the time. “We have to have faith…brother, you must have faith…” And yet when push comes to shove, this is the very problem from which we suffer…we don’t believe God.
In our sterile environment we speak eloquently and even pompously about such basics and are almost offended at the suggestion that we wouldn’t know about such things.
What do we do when things don’t go well, or not as planned? Do we believe what God has said and do we love Him for the sweetness that is ours to trust Him? Over the years we have made much about the Bible’s teaching with regard to the unseen world. While it is easy for us to get caught up in what is seen and what we do and don’t do as how the Christian life is described, defined and evaluated, these things are far from telling us the truth of the matter, and far from where the Scripture would direct us.
There is a shallowness of Christian living that seems to plague the church but in pointing our fingers at everyone else, we miss the fact that we, so often, are not all that different. We say one thing as we look at our bibles and as we answer questions around our tables, and nod our heads at sermons, but we live, we act and react in a manner that is simply put, contrary to what we have professed, contrary to what God has said.
As much as men plan, plot and boast, they are NOT in control, they are not the ones that have brought to you, what in fact, is set before you this day. The unseen hand of God moves everything. Your Father who is in heaven, He has done this…So what are we going to do with this truth? How are we doing with it?
But there is something else. We can know this truth, the truth of the unseen, and even take it in, and live by it, but do so in some kind of stoic, coldhearted fatalism.
As Paul says, whatever it is that comes to us, is not working against us, it is working FOR US. He continues: “…for our light affliction…is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
But you will not see this, if you do not live the unseen.
Now why all of this and what does it have to do with our text? The context actually builds to this encounter. We see a close connection between being a neighbor to those in need whom the Lord sets before you, whoever comes into your path, the Good Samaritan… And then eagerly listening to the words of the Lord and not being overtaken with our doing, the account of Mary and Martha in Bethany…And in turn addressing our Father in heaven in holy prayer, and understanding the nature of our communication with Him, verses 1-13.
That all sounds so nice doesn’t it, so clean, so sterile, of course we say, of course that is the Christian life. Loving our neighbor, sitting at the feet of Christ and praying to the Father. And then enters Satan. Then comes sin. And sin mucks up everything. Our text, “And He was casting out a demon…”
There are other forces at work here. There are powers that are far beyond mere human abilities. Remember, never, never did those who hated Jesus argue that He was NOT doing the miraculous things that He did. They did not argue that the miracles were tricks, or that the folks healed were never really sick, or the dead raised were never really dead.
Jesus was casting out a demon and a man who was mute because of the demon then spoke and the people were amazed at the power and authority of Jesus. And they knew Christ’s work was due to an unseen reality, a supernatural reality. Those who opposed Jesus were forced into one of two positions, one of two possible interpretations. Either Jesus really was equipped with special power from God, giving him this extraordinary authority…
…Or he was somehow in some way in league with the Devil himself, which is what the name Beelzebub would have meant. The one thing they did not deny is that unseen forces were about the happenings around them. They were of course wrong, blasphemously wrong in concluding what they did, but they understood something that today we either have ignored or simply tip our hats at, namely, that if you don’t understand the unseen, you can’t understand Jesus.
Their accusation of Jesus being in league with Satan is not only a rejection of Xp’s message about the Kingdom but the launching of a propaganda attack against Him. (NT Wright) Jesus acknowledges, indeed there is a hidden meaning, an unseen directing what was before them, but it was the exact opposite of what their unbelieving hearts were suggesting. And so, He answers them.
To be continued…
Prayer: God of my days, I see clearly that I rarely see clearly. I make quick and ill-tempered judgements and in my pride find it difficult to confess that I don’t know nearly as much as I boisterously proclaim. Father, forgive my arrogance and presumption. May I humbly seek the world that is above this one that I might find myself before the King of that world and this one and may my judgements be according to truth, through Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen.
Psalm 96 O Sing A New Song To The Lord