But Who Are You?
...and the great forgiving judgment.
Luke 11:29-41 | Acts 19:1-17
The demons spoken of in the gospels and Acts are not stupid. In fact, they seem quite wise and in today’s Acts passage, quite witty. “I know Jesus and Paul, but who are you?”
Evil - however it’s personified - is nothing to be trifled with.
Jesus assures those listening in the crowds that judgment will come. But there’s so much hope for the world in what he’s saying. Remember that Jonah may have been a “great” prophet, but his story ends in depression because he wanted to see the destructive judgment of God upon Ninevah.
Which did not happen.
So Jesus declares himself to be something like a new Jonah. There will be much forgiveness.
Thanks be to God.
(Have a great Sunday!)
Luke 11:29-41
When the crowds grew, Jesus said, “This generation is an evil generation. It looks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except Jonah’s sign. Just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Human One will be a sign to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from a distant land to hear Solomon’s wisdom. And look, someone greater than Solomon is here. The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they changed their hearts and lives in response to Jonah’s preaching—and one greater than Jonah is here.
“People don’t light a lamp and then put it in a closet or under a basket. Rather, they place the lamp on a lampstand so that those who enter the house can see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is full of darkness. Therefore, see to it that the light in you isn’t darkness. If your whole body is full of light—with no part darkened—then it will be as full of light as when a lamp shines brightly on you.”
While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to share a meal with him, so Jesus went and took his place at the table. When the Pharisee saw that Jesus didn’t ritually purify his hands by washing before the meal, he was astonished.
The Lord said to him, “Now, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and platter, but your insides are stuffed with greed and wickedness. Foolish people! Didn’t the one who made the outside also make the inside? Therefore, give to those in need from the core of who you are and you will be clean all over.
Acts 19:1-17
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul took a route through the interior and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you came to believe?”
They replied, “We’ve not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
Then he said, “What baptism did you receive, then?”
They answered, “John’s baptism.”
Paul explained, “John baptized with a baptism by which people showed they were changing their hearts and lives. It was a baptism that told people about the one who was coming after him. This is the one in whom they were to believe. This one is Jesus.” After they listened to Paul, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in other languages and prophesying. Altogether, there were about twelve people.
Paul went to the synagogue and spoke confidently for the next three months. He interacted with those present and offered convincing arguments concerning the nature of God’s kingdom. Some people had closed their minds, though. They refused to believe and publicly slandered the Way. As a result, Paul left them, took the disciples with him, and continued his daily interactions in Tyrannus’ lecture hall. This went on for two years, so that everyone living in the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the Lord’s word.
God was doing unusual miracles through Paul. Even the small towels and aprons that had touched his skin were taken to the sick, and their diseases were cured and the evil spirits left them.
There were some Jews who traveled around throwing out evil spirits. They tried to use the power of the name of the Lord Jesus against some people with evil spirits. They said, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you!” The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
The evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus and I’m familiar with Paul, but who are you?” The person who had an evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all with such force that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. This became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus. Everyone was seized with fear and they held the name of the Lord Jesus in the highest regard.
Prayer
God,
You have called us to Christ, disciples following after him in all things.
Thank you for the call, the privilege, and the responsibility.
Help us as we seek further his way,
Lead us in the specifics of our own lives,
And call us to the community he’s established of mercy, grace, and love.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.