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!”
Our text begins with a startle: “And He was casting out a demon…” There
are sinister forces at work. There are powers that are far beyond mere human abilities. 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 then the man who was mute because of the demon, spoke and the people were amazed at the
power and authority of Jesus. 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 active in the world around them. They were in effect saying the right thing albeit quite twisted: “Ah, don’t look at just the outward, but be wise and look to the unseen, for
it is there that you will find the true answer as to what is really going on here, and what this Jesus is really about.”
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 Christ’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. He tells them, if what you say were true then Satan would be destroying his own work, and no kingdom that is divided against itself, will stand. Then he adds in effect, “you are being very inconsistent, because you, my
detractors, approve of the work your ‘sons’ are doing when THEY cast out demons, but not when I do it. So then, your sons, will they be your judges?” And of course, that is the LAST thing they would want!
Jesus’ words about “the strong man” have been a puzzle. Some will argue that Satan is the strong man but has met his match in the stronger man, Jesus. But there is
an argument that is quite convincing that Jesus is the strong man who will be bound, but break those bonds. If you are interested in that discussion, I would encourage you to go back and listen to Pastor Jacob Skogen’s message on that issue. It was only a
few weeks back. Regardless, the point is that Jesus has power over the spiritual realm.
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. People
often 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. 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 says to you, I am enough. I see, I will reward. I will defend.
Set this world’s applause aside and desire Me.
Brothers and sisters, we often hear voices telling us that we are taking our Christianity too far…we 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, no 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 Jesus, by His grace, to gather
with Him, and allow the world to say what it will say. It might cost you…it WILL cost you, in the immediate but in the end…in the end, what glory!
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. Apparently, this man had many demons exercised from his body; the demons left him. So he cleans things up a bit and is now a good moral person; no more of the raunchy evil that he was accustomed to…the demons are gone. However,
the house is cleaned out, but what does he place IN the house, that is, in his life? Does the man fill his life with the Lord Jesus? With the kingdom of God? No…and Jesus says the man will find himself worse off than when he had demons! Why? Because now, he
is self-righteous! Now, he has cleaned himself up, 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 Christ, than he was
under the control of demons!
In the context, although this would be the individual application of Jesus’ 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 to have come out of exile and the inter-testimonial wars and now, they were pure, now they understood the kingdom and God must be pleased with them…all the rooms are clean. But they were void
of the kingdom because they were void of Jesus. 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-fold! And all for her rejection of Jesus and His Word. 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 we, His people go, from room to room throughout our entire house and we 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, for He is everything!
Prayer: Father, I pray for mercy to see clearly the unseen and to see clearly my own temptations to self-exaltation. Help me to be like my Savior, and think of
myself as I am in Him, and when the urges come to pride and self-sufficiency, may I see it clearly and put it to death quickly. Give me the humility of life that only Your grace can give and help me to live as my Savior, in Jesus name, Amen.
Hymn: More Love to Thee O Christ
More love to thee, O Christ,
More love to thee!
Hear thou the prayer I make
On bended knee;
This is my earnest plea,
More love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee,
More love to thee.
Once earthly joy I craved,
Sought peace and rest;
Now thee alone I seek;
Give what is best:
This all my prayer shall be,
More love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee,
More love to thee.
Let sorrow do its work,
Send grief and pain;
Sweet are thy messengers,
Sweet their refrain,
When they can sing with me,
More love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee,
More love to thee.
Then shall my latest breath
Whisper thy praise;
This be the parting cry
My heart shall raise,
This still its prayer shall be,
More love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee,
More love to thee.