When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, "I will return to my house from which I came"

 

 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke, and the multitudes marveled. But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  

 

But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  

 

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

 

"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

 

- Luke 11:14–26 

 

On Saturday we read that it came to pass, as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."  So he said to them, "When you pray, say:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

 

  And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke, and the multitudes marveled. But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Beelzebub is the name given to a Canaanite pagan god by the Jews.  This name of this god worshiped at a particular shrine was a derivation of the word Baal; but Baal was worshiped at many shrines and so each had a particular name.  In this case it was Baal-Zebul, meaning "Lord of the Exalted Dwelling" (see 2 Kings 1).  But the name used by the Jews is satire; it sounds alike but means "Lord of the Flies" or "Lord of the Dungheap."  Here it is used as a direct reference to Satan.  

 

 Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  According to the Orthodox Study Bible (OSB), a sign is never given to those whose motive is merely to test God (see Luke 4:9-12).  

 

 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you."  The finger of God is the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28).  

 

 "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils."  The OSB comments that the strong man is Satan, who holds sway over the fallen human race, while the stronger is Christ (see 1 John 4:4).  

 

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."  It is the work of Christ to gather the children of God, while those who scatter are in direct opposition to Him, the OSB notes.  Those who work in opposition to Christ, it says, are different from those who work in good faith toward His purpose but are not yet united to the Church (Luke 9:46-50).  According to St. Seraphim of Sarov, Only "good deeds done for Christ's sake bring fruit," and therefore deeds done for any other purpose, "even if they are good, are deeds that scatter abroad."

 

 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."  Here the OSB cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who comments that the unclean spirit refers to the rebelliousness cast out of the Jews by the Old Testament prophets to prepare them to receive Christ.  Those who refuse to receive Him are left open to the wickedness of seven other spirits or demons.  Seven is a number of fullness, and it indicates completeness; thus giving over oneself to darkness.  In another interpretation, this statement can also be understood to emphasize that even after successful deliverance or exorcism, vigilance and continued dedication to Christ is necessary, otherwise "the last state of that man is worse than the first."

 

 Jesus' final statement in today's reading is a reminder that nothing stands still.  We, as human beings, are creatures of time, and so life as we live it is a journey.  We are in constant movement, and the same is true of the soul and the choices we are always faced with.  Christ's call to us is one that asks for active faith.  When we receive God's grace, it is not like a material possession, but is rather a gift of God's divine energy which changes us and needs our constant cooperation in response.  We are meant for change, and this is the nature of repentance, or "change of mind" as the Greek word μετάνοια/metanoia literally means.  We are on a road, Christ's way (the Greek word ὁδός/odos, meaning path or road in John 14:6).  Consequently, a refusal of that grace working in us, or lack of cooperation with it, does not simply result in a static state of being, but one that, in fact, moves in the opposite direction.  Christ's teaching suggests that inner emptiness works as an open door to more trouble and demonic activity without healing grace. Christ's grace, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, is meant to be active in us, and is ultimately creative and dynamic.  Our faith is meant to grow and to bear fruit.  A well-known psychologist once said to me, "You're either going in the right direction or the wrong direction," indicating the same point, that we are always on a journey somewhere.  For the Christian, that journey is toward union with Christ (called theosis), or we are moving in another direction away.  Jesus' image of the cleaned and swept house  indicates a state of vacancy.  Hence we need to be vigilant about whom we let in, and protect against what we do not want.  We need to take care that our souls are fed with the things of God, and the energies of God.  The kind of emptiness that exists in a vacuum where the substance of virtue (or even the desire for it) is absent constitutes a depth of nihilism that invites evil.  The persona of Satan in the title of the demonic god Beelzebub is evoked in that emptiness as one who will take advantage, and come to stay and claim the house for himself.  That Jesus tells us the unclean spirit finds no rest, and seeks to return back to the place from which he was evicted gives us an idea of the movement of evil.  It's always aggressive, and parasitical, and will seek to return.  Let us be ready with the full armor of God.