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!”
We read in the Revelation that the nations will bring all their wealth into the great heavenly city. It will not be the Evil One, for he has been out done, and stripped of his power. Christ’s power over the demons is a vivid illustration, profound demonstration of this eschatological reality that is now in the world, and is now lived by the church.
Jesus overcomes Satan and renders him futile…all that he thought protected him is stripped from him and he is left naked of all protection that our King might destroy him forever. Jesus is even emptying the tombs, raising the dead and that was to be sin’s greatest evil…death! There was no remedy for that!
And then Jesus makes this stunning comment: “He who is not with Me is against Me and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”
So much for the concept of neutrality.
This should be remembered by everyone and anyone who thinks to take up their cross and follow the Lamb. We naturally want a comfortable, easy Christianity. In fact, we like to play both ends against the middle. We would just as soon have our Christianity and at the same time, have at least some of this world within reach. You say, “Oh pastor, you don’t know that, you don’t know such to be the case for me…”
Oh no? What do you do when the Lord takes steps to make sure that you are content with HIS approval and you get nothing from this world…even when you might have expected it and even, by the rules of this world, deserved it? But nothing. The Lord saying to you, I am enough. I see, I will reward. I will defend. Leave this world’s applause as something you must have, desire Me.
The book of the Revelation makes this so clear to us, but alas I wonder if we haven’t allowed it to fog over once more, namely that there is nothing neutral. The apocalypse makes it very clear that there is one mind of evil and the beast from the sea and the false prophet the beast from the land and the whore of Babylon, although very different, are all playing TO this one spirit and are of one mind…the mind of the Dragon who has declared war on those who have the testimony of Christ Jesus and who keep His word.
Nothing is so offensive to our Lord than being lukewarm. To be completely dead and totally ignorant, this is to be an object of pity to be sure. But, to know the truth and then to be caught between two opinions is a most damning sin in the eyes of our Savior.
Brothers and sisters, you have voices that tell you that you are taking your Christianity too far…you are overdoing it and need to calm down or just back off a bit. But Jesus would tell it differently. Let there be no reserve…no compromise…no half-heartedness, not attempt to reconcile the Kingdom of our God and the kingdoms of man.
Resolve right now that you will be found at the side of Christ, by His grace, to gather with Him, and allow the world to say what it will say. It might cost you…it might cost you greatly in the immediate but in the end…in the end, what glory!
Some time ago, I was reading about a woman who for years was part of a Christian movement that ended up twisting the Words of Scripture and the teachings of Jesus so badly that it has done great damage to many people.
This woman was not simply rejecting the bad teaching and practice of this group but, as is often the case, she was rejecting all of Christianity. It was a very sad thing to read.
But she made on comment that struck me, she didn’t mean it the way you and I would take it but she said, “These Christians say that salvation is a free gift but in reality, it costs you everything.”What she didn’t seem to understand was that the everything it costs you, is sin, bondage, and death, and that for the eyes of faith, we are more than happy to have God ripped from our idolatrous hearts.
But I will say that the half-hearted Christian produces no beauty in his life, no inspiring loveliness and though he might think to the contrary, wins no respect from this world.
Jesus goes on to tie this explanation to a very interesting comment about this unclean spirit who is cast out, only to return and find the house cleaned up and bring in demons more wicked than himself. If a man has the demons exercised from his body, and cleans things up a bit, a good moral person now, no more of the raunchy evil that he was accustomed to, but he does not place in that house, his heart, the Lord Jesus, then he will find himself worse off.
Why? Now, he is self-righteous! Now, he has cleaned out, but has not put Christ in. And so, the self-righteous man, the one confident in his own work and the cleanliness of his house will find his soul in greater jeopardy for the absence of the Christ.
In the context, although this would be the individual application of Christ’s words, this is intended to have a corporate interpretation. Jesus is speaking to the church, to the covenant people. They thought they were clean, they thought they had come out of the exile and the inter-testimonial wars and now, they were pure, now they understood the kingdom, all the rooms are clean.
But the church was void of the kingdom because the church was void of the Christ. There can be no kingdom without the Lord Jesus for He IS the kingdom. Israel was worse off than ever! The demons were going to come back seven -old! And all for her rejection of Jesus and rejection of the word of God.
For that is, Jesus concludes, that is what it means to be blessed, to hear the word of God and to keep it. That is the kingdom, to have the LORD clean the house and fill every room with Himself…So that His people, as we go, from room to room, find Him sufficient….every room the dining room, filled with Jesus…the living room, more and more of the Savior, the kitchen, and there He is again, preparing the feast…there is no life in the home unless Jesus is there. And all of a sudden that which is unseen, well, it is so very
clear.
Prayer: Eternal God, our Heavenly Father, who loves us with an everlasting love, and can turn the shadow of death into the morning. Help us now to wait upon You with reverence and hearts that look away from ourselves and unto You. In the silence of this hour speak to us of eternal things, that through the patience and comfort of Holy Scripture we may have hope, and be lifted above our darkness and distress into the light and peace of thy presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Hymn: Be Thou My Vision