Luke 11:14-26 He was driving out a devil and it was dumb; and it happened that when the devil had gone out the dumb man spoke, and the people were amazed. But some of them said, ‘It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he drives devils out.’ Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, ‘Any kingdom which is divided against itself is heading for ruin, and house collapses against house. So, too, with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last?—since you claim that it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out, through whom do your own sons drive them out? They shall be your judges, then. But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares. So long as a strong man fully armed guards his own home, his goods are undisturbed; but when someone stronger than himself attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil. ‘Anyone who is not with me is against me; and anyone who does not gather in with me throws away. ‘When an unclean spirit goes out of someone it wanders through waterless country looking for a place to rest, and not finding one it says, “I will go back to the home I came from.” But on arrival, finding it swept and tidied, it then goes off and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and set up house there, and so that person ends up worse off than before.’ -- The New Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1995, c1985
A Study Jesus, the stronger man, has prevailed against the prince of devils and those who have attempted to put Jesus to the test, again, in this audience. He points out to them that whoever casts out devils must be doing it from the same authority. Since others that were performing exorcisms were the disciples of these very people who were trying to test him, were they all working for YHWH -- or Beelzebul?
Buried within this text is yet another proclamation that the kingdom had arrived, but their eyes had been focused not on YHWH but on their petty thoughts about YHWH, creating houses divided against each other. And they had been deaf and blind witnesses to the arrival of the kingdom.
Jesus closes with two cautions: He demands absolute allegiance, and He warns that leaving an exorcised person without something positive to be stronger than the devils' army leaves that person defenseless again to the attacks of the evil one.
A Reflection Those two cautions, about allegiance and about how a soul will be re-filled, form a part of the call to us from our Lord. How better to love God and our neighbor than to follow his command to be totally with Him, and to help our neighbor be filled with the positive things of the spirit?
Today's Psalms and Hebrew Bible reading focus on injury by slander and gossip. What a tragedy that our sword-like tongues so easily fall to the evil one's grasp in the face of contradictory wisdom from Jesus' tradition and Jesus' eminently clear instructions that we are to love our neighbors.
Can we consider what must be in us when we gossip and slander? Are we like the house that is no longer fully armed, and ready for our old ways to re-enter, with even stronger resources? Or are we filled with the Spirit that God sends in answer to our prayers?
A Collect
O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
In the midst of writing this, I was informed by my wife of the death of her brother, Robert Wilson Ragsdale (1950-2004), following a long battle with cancer. His wife, two college-aged sons, and high-school daughter, and his father and siblings were with him before he slipped into unconsciousness two days ago, and he and they took the opportunity to exchange words of peace, love and encouragement with one another. He was a delightful man in whom the Spirit of God preached the Gospel constantly, never needing words. May Angels tend him to his rest, and may Light Perpetual shine on him.
Almighty God, we remember before you today your faithful servant Robert; and we pray that, having opened to him the gates of larger life, you will receive him more and more into your joyful service, that, with all who have faithfully served you in the past, he may share in the eternal victory of Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Luke 11:14-26 He was driving out a devil and it was dumb; and it happened that when the devil had gone out the dumb man spoke, and the people were amazed. But some of them said, ‘It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he drives devils out.’ Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, ‘Any kingdom which is divided against itself is heading for ruin, and house collapses against house. So, too, with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last?—since you claim that it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out, through whom do your own sons drive them out? They shall be your judges, then. But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares. So long as a strong man fully armed guards his own home, his goods are undisturbed; but when someone stronger than himself attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil. ‘Anyone who is not with me is against me; and anyone who does not gather in with me throws away. ‘When an unclean spirit goes out of someone it wanders through waterless country looking for a place to rest, and not finding one it says, “I will go back to the home I came from.” But on arrival, finding it swept and tidied, it then goes off and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and set up house there, and so that person ends up worse off than before.’ -- The New Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1995, c1985
A Study Jesus, the stronger man, has prevailed against the prince of devils and those who have attempted to put Jesus to the test, again, in this audience. He points out to them that whoever casts out devils must be doing it from the same authority. Since the others were the disciples of those who were trying to test him, were they working for YHWH or Beelzebul?
Buried within this text is yet another proclamation that the kingdom had arrived, but their eyes had been focused not on YHWH but on their petty thoughts about YHWH, creating houses divided against each other. And they had been deaf and blind witnesses to the arrival of the kingdom.
He closes with two cautions: He demands absolute allegiance, and He warns that leaving an exorcised person without something positive to be the stronger than the devils' army leaves that person defenseless, again to the attacks of the evil one.
A Reflection Those last two cautions, about allegiance and how a soul is re-filled, form a part of the call to us from our Lord. How better to love God and our neighbor?
Today's Psalms and Hebrew Bible reading focus on injury by slander and gossip. What a tragedy that our sword-like tongues so easily fall to the evil one's grasp in the face of contradictory wisdom from Jesus' tradition, and Jesus' eminently clear instructions that we are to love our neighbors.
Can we consider what must be in us when we gossip and slander? Are we like the house that is no longer fully armed, and ready for our old ways to re-enter, with even stronger resources? Or are we filled with the Spirit that God sends in answer to our prayers?
A Collect
O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
In the midst of writing this, I was informed by wife of the death of her brother, Robert Wilson Ragsdale (1950-2004), following a long battle with cancer. May angels tend him to his rest, and may Light Perpetual shine upon him.
Almighty God, we remember before you today your faithful servant Robert; and we pray that, having opened to him the gates of larger life, you will receive him more and more into your joyful service, that, with all who have faithfully served you in the past, he may share in the eternal victory of Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
