Jesus delivers an individual from a demon. Some in the crowd don’t like it.
It’s weird, honestly. And totally antithetical to the terms of the mission Jesus announced in Nazareth (Luke 4).
This is why Jesus came: to deliver people. But instead of rejoicing, some accuse him of using demonic power to do it. That’s quite a charge. Jesus is healing a man, restoring his speech, setting him free, and they say, You must be doing that with the devil’s help.
There’s something in that response that still echoes today: the inability or refusal to see God’s work when it doesn’t fit our categories. When we can’t control it, we explain it away. When God’s power disrupts our assumptions, we’d rather dismiss it than submit to it.
Jesus answers with reason. A divided house cannot stand. If Satan is casting out Satan, the system collapses. The logic is airtight but Jesus goes on, pivoting even: If it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
That’s the point. And it’s really the choice we have to make. Maybe we don’t like the people through whom God’s will is being done. Maybe they don’t look like me or I have absolutely no stake in what they’re doing. It doesn’t matter and it shouldn’t matter. Measure the fruit:
Are people being delivered?
Still, Jesus warns that deliverance without discipleship leaves a person vulnerable. Freedom is not an end in itself. If the house swept clean is left empty, the old forces return even worse than before. Liberation must be followed by indwelling, by God’s presence, by obedience, by a new way of life. This isn’t far from what we took from the contrast between the Samaritan and Martha the other day.
And as if to underline the point, when a woman in the crowd blesses Jesus’ mother, he redirects the compliment. Safety, warmth, family, etc. - these aren’t bad. Just not the goal of the Kingdom.
Jesus is clear: Listen to the Word. Then go do it.
Deliverance should lead to obedience.
Healing should lead to hearing.
Freedom should lead to faithfulness.
Luke 11:14-281
Jesus was throwing out a demon that causes muteness. When the demon was gone, the man who couldn’t speak began to talk. The crowds were amazed. But some of them said, “He throws out demons with the authority of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons.” Others were testing him, seeking a sign from heaven.
Because Jesus knew what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom involved in civil war becomes a wasteland, and a house torn apart by divisions will collapse. If Satan is at war with himself, how will his kingdom endure? I ask this because you say that I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul. If I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul, then by whose authority do your followers throw them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. But if I throw out demons by the power of God, then God’s kingdom has already overtaken you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are secure. But as soon as a stronger one attacks and overpowers him, the stronger one takes away the armor he had trusted and divides the stolen goods.
“Whoever isn’t with me is against me, and whoever doesn’t gather with me, scatters. When an unclean spirit leaves a person, it wanders through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find any. Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house cleaned up and decorated. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and make their home there. That person is worse off at the end than at the beginning.”
While Jesus was saying these things, a certain woman in the crowd spoke up: “Happy is the mother who gave birth to you and who nursed you.”
But he said, “Happy rather are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
Psalm 19:7-9, 14
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Prayer
God,
Thank you for setting us free. Help me not just to be delivered, but to stay close to you, listening, learning, and living out your word in everyday ways.
By your Spirit & in Christ,
Amen.
I greatly value the Common English Bible (CEB), which is the translation I use every day for these readings, unless otherwise noted as with yesterday’s psalm. I value the CEB’s rise out from significant study by the many, many men and women who did the translation. And I value its readability that doesn’t compromising too much…except for a couple of significant words/phrases - “son of man” (which the CEB renders Human One) and “blessed” (happy). This latter one occurs twice in today’s passage (and also in Matthew 5, the Beatitudes, among others). “Happy” can mean a lot of things to different people. And it *can* serve to fulfill the Greek word from which we usually get “blessed.”
…but I really prefer “blessed.” It carries a meaning “happy” does not.