Many are the times in the New Testament when Jesus brought healing to someone in need only to face accusations and be questioned by the crowds and the religious leaders. It makes me wonder if maybe that is in part why Jesus did so many healings as he walked from village to village teaching. It gave him opportunity to teach many things.
On one such occasion, he was accused of being empowered by Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Jesus pointed out that Beelzebub’s kingdom would not last long if he empowered people to cast out his own demons. “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.” Luke 11:17 Maybe that is part of why it is so important to Jesus that his followers learn to live and work together in unity. It’s bad enough when Christians fuss and squabble with each other. But when Christian leaders attack each other, they are tearing down and destroying God’s kingdom rather than building it up. “A kingdom divided against itself will be ruined,” Jesus said. “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:23 This was Jesus prayer for all of his followers.
Jesus teaches a second principle that we often miss. We need to be careful in what and whom we put our trust. He tells of a strong man guarding his own house keeping it safe… that is, “until someone stronger comes along and takes away his armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.” Luke 11:22 If we put our trust in ourselves, at some point we will come up short. If we join forces with God’s kingdom, we will also fall under his protection.
Being an excellent preacher, Jesus’ sermon had three points. The third point he made was that empty houses don’t stand empty very long. When we are freed from the evil in our lives, we need to begin to replace it with God’s goodness. If we don’t, the evil spirit “goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” Luke 11:25-26 We can’t believe and act on nothing. Either we are filling ourselves with God’s goodness, or we are open to Satan’s wicked schemes.
A wise woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” Luke 11:27 She was saying, “Preach it, Jesus! You tell them.” And, “I wish I had a son like you.” And Jesus used even that to encourage his followers. Rather than being puffed up with pride, he went right back to his final comments. “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11:28 I think he was finishing his third point. Hearing what he said is not enough. That might empty the house of the evil spirits. But it is in obeying God that we fill our lives with his goodness and do not leave room for the evil to move back in.
I can’t just turn and walk away from Jesus’ sermon and say, “Okay, that’s nice. Jesus wasn’t acting as a servant of Beelzebub.” I have to look at what it means to obey God’s word for me here, now, today. What am I filling my house with? Whose protection am I under? Am I working for or against God’s kingdom? There is no middle ground. As long as I am alive, I am choosing – good or evil.
Lord, please show me where I am divided. Show me where I am not fully yielded to you. I want to be part of building your kingdom, not destroying it. Help me to keep filling my house with your goodness. Help me to clean out the things that hinder me from totally and completely following you.
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