An enemy has done this

 

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

 

- Matthew 13:24–30 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued in His dialogue with the Pharisees, who had accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (see readings from Monday and Tuesday),  He said, "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, 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.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

 

  Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "  In today's reading the lectionary jumps forward, as we've recently read the beginning of chapter 13, when Jesus begins to teach for the crowds in parables.  See this reading, and this one.  So, His first parable was the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23), and here He begins a second.  My study Bible claims that this parable in today's reading builds on the previous parable of the Sower.  Here Jesus gives attention to the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.  It explains that, as falsehood came after truth, and false prophets came after the true prophets, so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  Just as the weeds (the tares, a plant which resembles wheat but is indigestible for human beings) first appear similar to wheat, so the devil fashions his lies to resemble the truth.  That the devil sows while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic.  Additionally, my study Bible remarks that this parable also explains why the Church neither condemns nominal members, nor judges those outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  Just as wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so also, many people who might ultimately find salvation would otherwise be lost if condemned before Christ's judgment. 

 

In yesterday's reading and commentary we discussed the spiritual battleground that is the world in the context of Christ's teaching about the demonic and the Holy Spirit.  He spoke in that reading (see above) about a house that is swept clean and put in order -- using this as an illustration of exorcism.  But if that house is not dedicated and filled with the Holy Spirit, that demons comes back, finds it empty and clean, and brings back seven more spirits, so the resulting condition of that person is worse than the first.   Here Jesus uses the illustration of seed to teach us about the influence of that which is planted by Christ, and that which is not.  As my study Bible points out, heresies are often couched in half-truths rather than obvious lies; this is in keeping with the deceptive nature of fallacy.  What sounds good is often "too good to be true," as the old saying goes.  Without learning how to recognize spiritual falsehood, we are open to the possibility of deception.  However, when it comes to the judgment at the end of the age, Christ allows all to grow together.  In the first place, as my study Bible notes, judgment of humankind only belongs to Christ, and that is possible only through the depth and breadth and width of the knowledge of Christ.  In our lives, every moment is a kind of slice of reality and the choices we make, but nothing stands still.  We make choices and continue to grow toward Christ, or away, and we always have new opportunities for choice and repentance, return.  If the seed sown by Christ is His word and teaching, then we have to understand that those spiritual forces that oppose Christ will also be sowing their own seed.  While the good wheat is a blessing, healthy for humans (and that which forms the Eucharist for us), the deceptive tares don't give us what we need.  They don't feed us true spiritual food good for our souls or our well-being.  But they "look like" the wheat.  We might learn through experience, and the bad results from consuming the tares, but we'd do better to pay close attention to the wheat, so that we know it and recognize it.  The Church also explains and names heresies so that we recognize the tares and how they deceive us when they're not really good for us to consume.  Again, a colloquial expression also helps in this case, "What will you swallow?"  Again, in yesterday's commentary we discussed good and evil, the influence of angels and demons, as energies.  We can participate in these energies (or they participate in us) and they become a part of who we are.  We can cling to grace, the work of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to know Christ, to find His good seed, to grow as good wheat (John 14:26).  But we need that help and it's found, importantly, in the collective wisdom of the Church and her Tradition, which includes the Scriptures.  That living Tradition is formed and shaped by and through the Holy Spirit, and to the Spirit we always pray in all things, and at the beginning of every service (see the Orthodox Prayer to the Holy Spirit here).  But while we live in this world, we have wheat and tares growing side by side.  This is an illustration that applies to truth and falsehood, what's good for us or deceptive, and yet it also applies to human beings and the judgment at the end of the age.  Let us at least understand where we are, how this world is working in this stage, and the role of Christ and the Church within it, especially the good seed of the Sower.  What do you want to grow?  What do you want to consume?  How will you find the truth of the one from the other for your life?  Where and how do we find and dwell in that kingdom while we yet live in this world?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you

 

 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

 

- Matthew 6:25-34 

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught His disciples, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness.  No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."

 

  "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"  My study Bible explains that Jesus is warning against anxiety here, not against thoughtful planning.  Our physical well-being is directly dependent upon God, it says, and only indirectly on food, drink, and clothing.  It further remarks that to be anxious over earthly things demonstrates a lack of faith in God's care.  

 

 "So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things."  Because the Gentiles served pagan idols, they remained dependent upon earthly things, my study Bible says.  Those who follow God can be freed from this dependence.  

 

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  The kingdom of God is the central theme of Christ's teaching, and God's righteousness is the subject of the Sermon on the Mount, my study Bible notes.  It says that Jesus calls us to be free from anxiety about earthly things, and directs us to look to heaven -- secure in the faith that God will provide needed earthly blessings.  

 

So, what is God's righteousness?   The entire Sermon on the Mount is a way to express this, what life is like in living for the Kingdom.  We started with the Beatitudes, which taught us how to live and to view a blessed life.  From there we learned that believers are like salt and light, and carry these needful qualities with them in spiritual terms that help their societies and communities.  Deepening our understanding of the Law and its aims, Jesus teaches us about the reality of our interior lives, what it means to be part of this communion, and to take action to avoid sin at deeper levels within our own hearts.  In other words, true righteousness, and justice, even spiritual perfection.  Giving examples of this life, He teaches us how we should pray, and what to pray.  Yesterday, He taught us about the impossibility of serving two masters; we'll either be a slave to materialism or freed in true righteousness, embracing the life of the Kingdom (see above).  Moreover, in today's reading, Jesus elaborates on that freedom, asking us to become freed enough from attachment to our material desires so as to avoid excess anxiety, to stop making that the central focus of life and put God there instead -- "for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things."  In other words, we don't divide life into two realms, but we do put one first, the one governed by God, under whom are all things, for God creates and upholds all of reality.  When we lose the righteousness -- the kingdom of God and His righteousness -- then we lose the reason for being, the ways of relationship to the world and even to our material possessions, how to use them, what they are for, and how they are provided for us.  In our lives we may work hard, we may find very creative ways to live material lives, but ultimately our well-being depends upon placing our faith in something that colors everything and transcends it.  In recognizing dependence upon God, we not only find this righteousness and this Kingdom for ourselves, we also find a healthy gratitude, an understanding of life that places in our laps the means by which we find values and priorities for all that we do.  Gratitude is so often the alternative, and therapy, for the times one feels depression or meaninglessness, so let us shape our lives by this understanding of dependence upon God.  Even the sad parts of life, the things we experience as loss, pain, or suffering, gain meaning through God's righteousness, and relationship to Creator, including insights on how we go forward through difficulties.  So let us depend upon Christ and free ourselves from the anxieties that make us unbalanced and unreceptive to the righteousness and communion we can find.  Today's passage contains some of the most beautiful imagery found in all of Scripture.  It's not for nothing that Jesus reminds us of the stunning beauty of nature ("even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these"), of the things created by God, the dependency even of the birds of the air for God's care ("Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?"), and most especially how futile our worry and anxiety are ("Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?").  In this context, faith becomes the way of life that is not simply preferable, but needful, and for all of us as human beings.  In the modern world, we feel that we are constantly bombarded with things to worry about; we are constantly fed information guaranteed to stoke anxiety.  Jesus acknowledges that we have needs, and we also have troubles, but He puts them into context for us.  Perhaps it was always like this, but nonetheless even in our present age it remains true, that "tomorrow will worry about its own things -- and sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  Let us take Jesus at His word, for unlike some who preach all kinds of systems or philosophies or even faiths, He doesn't scare us with fear, but quite the opposite.  He teaches us that a focus on worry and anxiety avail us nothing; only faith changes everything and is the place we should take our stand and root ourselves in life.  Let us remember the beauty and wisdom He teaches to us. We are called to a particular Kingdom, and a particular righteousness.  The whole world may urgently chase the material life ("For after all these things the Gentiles seek"), but we are called to a different way.  In a world increasingly obsessed with security, let us consider how we may seek first the kingdom of God and God's righteousness.

 

 

 

 

The servants said to him, "Do you want us then to go and gather them up?" But he said, "No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them"

 

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

 

- Matthew 13:24-30 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus explained the parable of the Sower (see earlier readings from Tuesday and Wednesday):   "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

 

  Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"  My study Bible comments that this parable builds on the previous parable of the sower.  Here, it says, Christ gives attention to the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.   As falsehood came after truth and false prophets came after the true prophets, so also the Antichrist will come after Christ.  The weeds first appear similar to wheat in this parable -- and so the devil crafts lies to resemble the truth.   That the devil sows while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic, my study Bible adds.  This parable also explains why the Church neither condemns nominal members, nor judges those outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  As wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so also, there are those who might ultimately find salvation but would be otherwise lost if condemned before the judgment of Christ. 

 

 Today's parable given by Christ seems to round out some of the recent teachings we've read in the Gospel of Matthew lately.  There has been a lot of emphasis by Christ on where our hearts are, on the importance of loving God past the minimum, so to speak, and past the kind of legalism of the Pharisees that couldn't see the spirit of the law for the letter.  Most recently, we've been introduced to parables through the parable of the Sower, speaking about Christ's word that He sows among us and what we do with it, what kind of ground it falls upon in us, how it's nurtured, or not.  We've focused on faith and our endurance in faith.  But here there's another fullness offered that takes us into a new dimension about faith, and that is how important it is that it not be "rooted out" by putting too fine a point on perfection.  Every care must be taken so that those who do have faith are nurtured as much as possible, even to the point of tolerating the seeds of the enemy if that is necessary in order to prove the faithful.  It's a reminder of the story in Genesis about Abraham's dialogue with God in Genesis 18:16-33.  This is the story in which God reveals a plan to bring justice to Sodom and Gomorrah.  But Abraham starts questioning God first:  "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?"  When God indicates that would work to spare the city, Abraham begins to bargain:  "Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?"  When the answer comes that God would spare the city, Abraham bargains God all the way down to but ten righteous people, and for those ten God would also spare the city.  So in this story about refraining from uprooting the unrighteous for the sake of the faithful, we also get a similar answer that teaches us about the preciousness of faith -- or perhaps we should say, the preciousness of faithful people.  Clearly, to God, these precious faithful are worthy of sparing all for their sake.  When we get impatient with the world for the things we see that we feel are wrong, we should take heart and ponder this story.  What, really, would our lives be like if we all got instant justice?  Have there been times when you have made a mistake, or lapsed in your faith?   At the present stage of my life, my mistakes are uncountable, and the things I once believed that I now think were wrong are also uncountable and past my memory capacities!  In short, we should be thankful for God patience, and the mercy that gives us more time and a space to reconsider.  Life may seem at times very difficult because of all the wrong things we see in the world, the things that make people's lives difficult and harsh, the wicked and evil things people can do to one another.  But God has a wisdom and a foresight beyond our own, and we should be thankful for that mercy, and the breathing space to grow and come to maturity.  Above all, we should understand this as a way to nurture the faithful, for real justice might also shock us for the things we don't know and are hidden from our understanding.  Let us be grateful for the wisdom of God, and the judgment that comes in the fullness of time, and not before it.

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters

 

 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 

 

Yesterday we read that as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, 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 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 was a name for the pagan god Baal.  Throughout the Old Testament we can read the names of different Baal gods in various pagan regions and towns dedicated to them (1 Kings 1:18).  "Beelzebub" was a name given by the Jews to deride the god, meaning "the Lord of the Flies."  But here it is meant as a direct reference to Satan.

 

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.  My study Bible comments that a sign is never given to those whose motive is merely to test God (see Luke 4:9-12).  Jesus explicitly brings out the notion of spiritual warfare, of a host of spirits (led by Satan) who are against God.  Can Satan's kingdom stand if his house is divided and he is therefore at war with himself?  Moreover, if Christ is casting out demons by Beelzebub, how do the Jewish exorcists (your sons) cast out demons?  By what power?  If they accuse Him of casting out demons by demonic power, then their spiritual sons will be their judges.  The finger of God, my study Bible explains, 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 strong man in Christ's example is Satan, who holds sway over the fallen human race, my study Bible explains, while the stronger is Christ (see 1 John 4:4).  It is in this illustrated sense that Christ is also Deliverer, Savior, and Judge.

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."  My study Bible comments that it is the work of Christ to gather the children of God, while those who scatter are in direct opposition to God.  Those who work in opposition to Christ are different from those who work in good faith toward God's purpose but are not yet united to the Church (see Luke 9:46-50).  My study Bible quotes St. Seraphim of Sarov, who comments that  only "good deeds done for Christ's sake bring fruit," and therefore deeds done for other purposes, "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."  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who calls the unclean spirit a reference 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.  We may also understand this teaching as one exhorting us to consider what it is to become a "temple of God," in whom the Holy Spirit dwells -- and the vigilance that becomes all the more necessary as a result (1 Corinthians 3:16).  It reminds us that salvation is not a one-time action, but asks of us an ongoing discipleship and awareness.

It's interesting that today's reading speaks about spiritual battle, about the "competition" constantly being waged in this world between the forces of Christ (the stronger man) and Satan (the strong man).  We accept that Christ has come as Savior and Liberator, the One who will deliver us from the evil one.  And yet, we are still intrigued with the composition of the text, in which it was in yesterday's reading that Christ taught His disciples to pray to "our Father in heaven."  If we recall, it was in the prayer (see yesterday's reading, above) in which we are taught to pray, "deliver us from the evil one."  Here, in today's reading which involves an exorcism by Christ and then accusations that He is working by the power of demons, we are given a taste of Christ's clear teaching about forces for good and evil in this world.  These aren't by any means equal forces, for He is clearly the "stronger man" while Satan is the "strong man" who has so many bound in the world.  But Christ is our Liberator, for He has the power to overcome him, take away his armor, and divide his spoils.  This language would make perfect sense to one familiar with first century warfare (as indeed, it makes sense to many in today's world), but Christ is speaking of spiritual warfare, a war that goes on unseen and yet felt today in the world.  It is a battle for souls, and hearts and minds, and our prayers become a first source of strength and armor and weapons for the battle, for it is through our prayers that we are prepared, disciplined, and trained -- and hence we get another marvelous reason for the construction of the Gospel:  yesterday's reading has prepared us for the events we read of in today's reading.  Jesus taught us a universal prayer for all Christians to pray for all the world -- on behalf of the world, for all the world, and for ourselves -- but we see that it isn't just a simple prayer, it's a weapon for the battle.  It is a prayer for the kingdom of God to be manifest in this world.  It constitutes an alignment with the "stronger man," so that we are fully arrayed for battle and we have declared whose side we're on, whose troops we form, whose battlements we stand behind.  So often we are tempted to think of faith as simply intellectual abstraction, a kind of philosophical divide that purveys questions of ideology or of competing systems of rules and regulations, of varied outlooks upon life and what it is to be a human being under various deities or belief systems.  But Christ phrases this spiritual condition of the world in completely different terms, and takes us away from abstractions such as a simple set of competing ideas. He makes it quite clear that this battle is essential, and most of all that it is in fact waged within us, and that it affects us human beings not just on the surface or in terms of  beliefs and concepts, but rather from the inside out.  It determines the conditions of the places we feel at home in the world, where we belong, and to what do we have our allegiance.  His actions in the world and His teachings make it very clear that the battle isn't just about ideas, but rather the very things that make life worth living, or not.  The demons in the Bible oppress and afflict, they give pain.  In fact the very word in the Greek text which is translated as "the evil one" is πονηρός/poneros, whose root πόνος/ponos literally means "pain."  The word could easily be translated as "the painful one" (as in the one who brings pain).  We are not talking about abstract ideas or slogans or theories, but rather conditions of living that affect the entirety of one's life, as so many have experienced and understood.  A spiritual reality forms the background and basis for our lives, unseen as it may be, but it has been shared and understood by so many throughout so much of the history we know -- and it equally remains a mystery in which we may participate as well, should we continue to "ask" and "seek" and "knock" as Christ advised also in yesterday's reading (see above).  So let us take the story in today's reading to heart, and especially in the context of the teaching by Christ of the Lord's Prayer and the comments that followed in yesterday's reading.  For we do not have a complete sense of Christ's work on our behalf without each one and without the understanding He seeks to teach.  Let us take seriously the thought that so much depends upon what path we're on, and what and whom we choose to follow, in whom we place our trust.

 

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad

 

 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

 

- Matthew 12:22-32 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus knew that the Pharisees had begun to plot against Him to destroy Him, He withdrew from there.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.  Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "Behold!  My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!  I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles.  He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.  A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust." 

 

 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."  In chapter 9 of Matthew's Gospel, we have already observed that the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the ruler of demons.  Here, they once again make the same charge, in response to the multitudes who begin to wonder if Christ is the Messiah, the Son of David.  This time, however, it is made more explicitly.  Beelzebub, or Baal, my study Bible explains, was the prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies" -- a god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).  This name, Beelzebub, is theorized by some to have been a jeering epithet coined by the Jews for the god Baal.  Here, he is called the ruler of the demons.  My study Bible says that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves is an illustration of the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.  We can observe for ourselves that all is done in response to the popularity of Jesus among the people, who wonder if He is indeed the Son of David.  But Jesus replies with what is not only a logical refutation of their accusation, but a further statement of His own, challenging them to think about what power and authority is in Him to do such works against the demonic.

 

 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."  My study Bible comments that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit; that is, blasphemy against pure goodness.  It explains that a sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven because the Jews did not know much about Christ.  But blasphemy against the Spirit, whose divine activity was known from the Old Testament, will not be forgiven, because it comes from a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  The patristic writers are clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin" -- nor does Jesus call this sin "unforgivable."  St. John Chrysostom says that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if one were to repent of it.  Jesus makes this declaration, my study Bible comments, knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and they are beyond repentance through their own choice.  Let us note, also, that is so saying, Christ declares Himself to be in union with the Holy Spirit, and His works to be expressions of such.

Jesus is subtly but firmly declaring Himself in today's passage.  He is declaring His power and authority to be that which is unified with the Holy Spirit.  He quite explicitly states to the Pharisees, who accuse Him of working through Beelzebub to perform exorcisms, "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you."  He goes on to remind them that One who could do what He does must "enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods" and therefore must have the greater strength to first bind the strong man in order to plunder his house.  (That is, to cast out the demons.)  When Jesus makes the final statement to them, that  "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad," it is a statement of supreme authority and union with God, the only greater power, or "stronger man" who could cast out Satan.  The only way such a statement could be made is if it rests in that type of absolute authority.  There is no competition with the Spirit, there is no equal rivalry to be had or achieved by a demon or any other power.  Therefore, in responding to the Pharisees and their accusation of working by Beelzebub, Jesus draws a line in the sand and goes one step further:  those who do not gather with Him scatter abroad.  There is no power which can challenge the authority working in Him.  He then goes on to give a warning which clarifies that the false accusations will not result in condemnation merely because Jesus, the Son of Man, suffers or is maligned or criticized.  It is the Spirit which is being maligned in their accusations against the works that have been done (and specifically exorcisms of demons performed), and this is an entirely different thing altogether.  This is not a competition between schools of thought or various approaches to the worship of God.  They are blaspheming the work of God the Spirit, and that is a much more grave thing to do.  The distinction here is quite important, because it sets the ground for their disputes in a much more significant place than merely some sort of rivalry for the people's trust and attention.  This goes beyond a rivalry in terms of worldly authority or influence.  One may not observe the action of the Spirit, one powerful enough to cast out demons and to heal, and simply label it evil without encountering a grave danger oneself of slipping into profound spiritual error and evil.  These are the most learned men of their time, experts in the Scripture, who spend their days debating it, pondering it, studying it.  If they call the work of the Spirit evil, it is a grave sin, for they do so knowingly and not in ignorance.  They are the ones who know better, but it is their envy and zealousness for their own authority and power that has gotten the better of them.  All of this serves to clarify for us an important understanding of the work of God in the world:  we cannot judge by appearances.  God can choose to work through the most unlikely-seeming candidates.  God the Spirit can work through the highly ascetic and impoverished John the Baptist, and God the Spirit can be at work in the ministry of Jesus, the "glutton and wine-bibber" (see Monday's reading).  God the Spirit can be at work through the repentant Matthew the tax collector and author of this Gospel.  God the Spirit can be at work through St. Paul, formerly Saul the most vicious prosecutor of followers of Christ.  In John's Gospel, Jesus says explicitly, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24).  Whatever our expectations may be, God has a way of defying them, of pulling us out of our own complacence and limitations and understanding of God.  This includes circumstances as well as people.  It is the power of God that has turned the Cross, the instrument of crucifixion, the most heinous and gruesome punishment meted out to the worst criminals by the Roman Empire, into a symbol of transfiguration and redemption and the power of God's love which can be at work in our own lives.  We cannot limit by our own definition or image what the power of God can do, what the Spirit can and will do.  Jesus has likened the work of the Spirit in human beings, and our capacity to understand or predict it, to the working of the wind.  (In both Greek and Hebrew, the words for wind, breath, and spirit are the same.)  He said, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).  Does the Holy Spirit continue to be at work in our world?  Can the Spirit still work through the unlikeliest of candidates or circumstances?  Do we still run the risk of limiting through our own prejudices and desires for power and nearsightedness our capacity to see the work of God in the world and in people who make us uncomfortable?  Yes, yes, and yes.  Let us remember the danger we encounter when our own passions or self-righteousness or narrow legalistic focus come before a prayerful life and a heart open to the surprising work of God.

 

 

 

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 as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, 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 was a pagan god (Canaanite Baal).  This is a corruption of the name which was popularly used by Jews, as this god was derided by the Jews as "the Lord of the Flies."  Here, this name is used as a direct reference to Satan.

Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  My study bible tells us that a sign is never given to those whose motivation is simply to test God (see 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 my study bible says is the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28).  This is a warning about what and whom Christ's accusers are seeking to slander with accusations of demonic activity.

"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."  The strong man is Satan, whom my study bible says holds sway over the fallen human race.  The stronger man is Christ (see 1 John 4:4).   An additional note reminds us that it is the work of Christ to gather the children of God.  Those who scatter are in direct opposition to Christ.  The latter are different from those who work in good faith toward God's purpose but are not yet united to the Church (see 9:46-50).  St. Seraphim of Sarov is quoted as saying that only "good deeds done for Christ's sake bring fruit," and therefore deeds done for other purposes, "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."  The unclean spirit is a reference to the rebelliousness which was cast out of the Jews by the Old Testament prophets, in order to prepare them to receive Christ.  According to the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, those who refuse to receive Christ are then left open to the wickedness of seven other spirits or demons.  Let us note that seven is also a spiritual number, indicating fullness or completeness.  It underscores the importance of stopping wrongheadedness or dangerous spiritual practice as early as possible.  

It's often said that faith is a journey.  That is, we're never standing still.  We don't decide one moment that "I am this" or "I believe this" and then put it aside and live our lives.  It simply doesn't work that way, because we, as creatures of God, don't work that way.  Life is a journey in which we travel forward through time, always offered choices and always making decisions.  Faith is intimately linked to our choices, to where we place our priorities, to how we think about guidance, and most importantly, it is connected even more deeply to the spirit and the soul.  Therefore the state of our prayer lives, our consciousness about our faith in daily practice and affirmation, and the depth of the unknowable communion with God which Christ came to bring into the world.  This is why daily prayer is important, and it is why our own alert and awake faith, especially as practiced via self-awareness, is essential to our own well-being.  When Christ speaks about the finger of God, or the Holy Spirit, He is referring to the power of God that is at work in us and among us, and right here and now in this world.  He is referring to the action of grace which is present for us.  Here He is being accused of performing marvelous works, and casting out demons, by the power of demons.  But He gives His strongest warning about sins against God:  to label actions done by the presence of God working among us as actions of evil is the ultimate kind of sin.  It is to directly act against the work of God in the world.  Therefore, the adversary one chooses through such action is not simply another human being:  it is the power of God.  If one thing is to be understood from the gospel message, it is that the kingdom of heaven is here and working among us, and that we can be a part of this kingdom even as we live our lives in this world.  But to directly challenge and engage that kingdom is not simply to challenge human beings.  It is to challenge the goodness and grace and power of God.  We suffer real consequences from such choices.  It is possible that in the road of salvation  (for we begin here by speaking about a road or journey of faith) should we, in ignorance, make such accusations or acts, we might be brought round to salvation.  But in so doing, we will have to realize our error -- and so often, that is just possible through loss or difficulty, so that we wake up and get wise to ourselves.  But when we think about Christ casting out demons, we must focus on the fact that this is done through the Holy Spirit, the power of God, or as Jesus puts it, the finger of God.  What He refers to when He says, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters" is simply those who seek to challenge and rebuke the power of God.  And in terms of Christ's final analogy, of the empty house to whom seven spirits more wicked than the first return, this is a clear indication of faith as a journey.  This is because it points to the fallacy of correcting a mistake while yet failing to make a commitment to faith for further down that road.  Those who are not active and vigilant in seeking to follow the path of Christ's power or the Holy Spirit open themselves up for worse down the road, as every new choice is based fundamentally upon the foundation of what came before.  This is therefore a warning against complacency and uncaring.  We need to be prepared for the "return knock" of that unclean spirit, and those it might bring in addition.  As we continue upon our own journey of faith, let us consider how important daily prayer is, and vigilance in seeking discernment and awareness.  Life isn't simply a random set of facts or luck; instead, so much depends upon how we respond to those facts or luck, especially when they seem to us to be random.  We are on a path, and our journey is simply to make sure we keep going in the right direction, toward Christ who beckons and whose power helps us along the way.

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters

 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 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 is also 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."

- Luke 11:14-23

Yesterday we read that as Jesus and the disciples went toward Jerusalem, He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."  And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."   The text that follows immediately in Luke (between today's lectionary reading and yesterday's) has already been given in the lectionary, in preparation for Ascension Day.  It includes the Lord's Prayer; see this reading.

 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 by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Beelzebub was a name of the Jews for a pagan god of their ancient enemies (Ba'al).  This name means "Lord of the Flies" and was used in derision of a Canaanite god, Baal. But here, it's directly used as a reference for Satan.

Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.   A sign from heaven would be a spectacular form of proof of Jesus' divine origins and power.  My study bible comments that a sign is never given to those whose motive is merely to test God (see 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 is also 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."  Jesus raises a logical question.  They accuse Him of using the power of Satan to cast out demons.  But why would Satan want to cast out his demons, if they are indeed his "men" or his "soldiers," members of his house and kingdom?   He then also raises the question about the Jewish tradition of exorcism, when He asks, by whom do your sons cast them out?   Their response will judge His accusers.

"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."  Here is a natural image of war, from the ancient world to the modern, and even a kind of paradigm for the spiritual battle that goes on in our world, even through Christ's exorcism.  A strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace and his goods.  But when a stronger comes along, all the armor he had is futile, and his goods go to someone else.  Here, the strong man is Satan, the "prince" or "ruler" or "god" of this world, and a stronger, Christ, has come along to raid his goods, to liberate human beings for Himself and for the One who sent Him (1 John 4:4).

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."   This is a clear statement that Christ is the stronger man in His parable above.  My study bible says that it is the work of Christ to gather the children of God, while those who scatter are in direct opposition to Him.  It adds that those who work in opposition to Christ are different from those who work in good faith toward His purpose but are not yet united to the Church (see 9:46-50).   Quoting St. Seraphim of Sarov, it notes that "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."

We may wonder, all these centuries after the Incarnation, why it is that the "prince" of this world still seems to hold so much sway.  But that seems to be the natural reality into which we are born.  In recent days, the plea in the Lord's Prayer, translated "lead us not into temptation," has been in the headlines.  I do not wish to dispute about what exactly these words mean in the Greek.  But let us understand that we still live and are born into a world of temptation and where we will all surely face temptation (for even Christ was tempted; see 4:1-13).  And this is the spiritual battleground, which runs through the heart of each of us, and in which we're bound to struggle, like it or not.  We may wonder why Christ hasn't just fixed everything so that evil doesn't exist, or so that we don't have to think of ourselves as in the middle of some kind of struggle for power, control, dominance.  But when we do that, we forget about the one thing needed (see yesterday's reading, above).  That is, we forget about the nature of the spirit of God (9:55).  Our God is a God of love, who wants volunteers, and not slaves.  That is, love is a voluntary act.  One cannot compel love.   This is perhaps why Jesus, after speaking about exorcism in this passage, adds a statement about a house swept clean, but in which apparently the voluntary nature of our faith has not met with such a commitment, and there the unclean spirit brings back seven more like him, and the last state of that person is worse than the first (11:24-26).  In all of this spiritual battleground, we are not merely goods or pawns.  Human beings are meant for more; we are capable of love, and in such love is this battle fought and waged also by us as soldiers, if you will.  Christ may cast out all the demons and devils of this world, but human beings are capable of love -- and the things one loves or does not love seem to make such a great difference in life.  It is faith that makes a great difference between what we build in our lives and do not.  The reason for this is that faith is related to love; its root in Greek is the word for "trust."  What is love but a deep trust, a decision to give oneself to another?  This is our true bond with Christ, how we become one of His.   He may liberate all of us from evil influence, but how would this make us full human beings, capable of giving trust and love?  There is something deeper to which He aspires for each one of us.  How many of us realize its great significance for the things of which we are capable, the stature we have in our Creator's eyes?   We do not live in an existence caught between two absolute oppositional powers, good and evil.  We live in a world in which we are allowed to come into temptation, and even where evil still is at work, but for a purpose, because we are equipped for something greater than helpless matter.  Christ shows us the way with the Cross, by which evil is turned back upon itself, and "death is trampled by death," as the Easter hymn says.   We are equipped for faith and love and trust, out of which comes something far greater than a vote for one side or the other.  Like the apostles, we each are capable of sharing in Christ's power, God's grace invested in us, a living and active Kingdom carried within us and among us.  But that happens through love and trust, and persistence and endurance -- and this choice remains anew for each generation.  To those who understand the power of God as merely "power" in a worldly sense, all of this is lost.  With His last statement in today's reading, Jesus enforces the difference. 

Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls

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."

- Luke 11:14-23

Yesterday's lectionary reading was the story of Martha and Mary: Martha was busy with serving as Jesus was in her house, with all the duties of hospitality -- while Mary sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. Martha complained to Jesus that her sister was not helping her. Jesus told her that she was distracted and worried about many things . . . "but one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." See Martha and Mary - the Good Part, the One Thing Needed. The lectionary then skips a passage in Luke in which Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray when they ask Him to do so, and then speaks about prayer. For those readings, see Our Father - The Lord's Prayer and Consider the lilies. (These passages were given earlier in preparation for Ascension Day.)

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. By now we know Jesus' fame and reputation for having done spectacular signs of healing and casting out demons has grow greatly. Of course, the idea that the "mute speak" is one of the predictions of the Messiah, as given in Scripture. Here, there is a question of the origins of Jesus' power. Where does it come from? Beelzebub was a pagan god, my study bible says, "derided by Jews as 'The Lord of the Flies.' Here it is a direct reference to Satan." A sign from heaven -- such as some spectacular appearance rather than the signs of healing Jesus does -- is a demand for proof of Messiahship. As my study bible says, this is a demand for the validation of Jesus' authority. Jesus refused such temptations already in the wilderness, just before He began His public ministry, and He refuses here as well.

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." A point well-made, that is reasonable. How can a house stand when it is divided against itself? In this case, we can think of a house as a dynasty, like the house of a great king -- with all the things that are a part of such a "house" and its retinue and power. How can it stand or function if it is divided against itself? What happens to power when it is divided and not made single in strength?

"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." So how does Satan cast out the demons that do his work - his own demons? How can his kingdom be strengthened that way? And if He casts out demons by Beelzebub, then what of the exorcisms that are already a part of Jewish tradition? How do those work? Therefore, the ones who cast out the demons in their own tradition will judge the words of accusation here by those who deny the power of exorcism and its origins. This is a very clever argument, and we see Jesus here at His scrappy best. This is the One who will fight for the kingdom, and doesn't pull His punches -- or His insights.

"But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." He's exhorting them in every way He can to think about what is happening before them, and what they are saying and doing. "The finger of God," says my study bible, 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." How does the strong man invade another's house or kingdom, and take His spoils? The "ruler of this world" or the "Lord of the flies" may be powerful, and keep vulnerable human beings burdened and bound by demonic power, but there is One who is stronger than this strongman -- and He invades his house, takes away all his armor, and divides his spoils. So it is with Christ and the kingdom: it is the stronger, and it "breaks through" into our world in all manner of healing and power and signs of God's presence. He is here to claim this world for the kingdom -- just as He has just taught His disciples to pray "Thy kingdom come."

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters." This is a seeming contradiction, my study bible points out, to an earlier statement in Luke's Gospel, chapter 9 ("He who is not against us is on our side") -- but it points out that the emphasis here is on gathering and scattering. That is, whoever is engaged in the work of the kingdom, this great house of the Son, is gathering. But others that do not, and do not in some sense produce the fruit of this house of the kingdom, will scatter -- because it is the house of the stronger man. In the spiritual battle alluded to here, the "stronger man's" is the house that one would wish to side with. It is the house that will gather and stand, and its enemies will scatter. Each person, my study bible says, does one or the other.

So let's think about this choice that we make, to gather or to scatter. The word for gather is the same as the root for the word "synagogue" in the Greek -- to gather together or to assemble. But to scatter is to be dispersed, as a flock of sheep may be scattered, and each one is then "lost." So the sense here is of a great house, under whose "roof" we may gather and align ourselves. It is this house that will ultimately stand and grow, and it is this house with which we wish to be aligned in our hearts. This is the great house of the kingdom that "breaks through" into our world, and builds its fruit, and increases. How do you build that strength in your heart? What is your contribution to it, and when you "gather" to it in prayer or work or intention, what strength do you find in that? Tomorrow we all celebrate the feast of Pentecost, the great "breaking in" to the world of the kingdom, poured out upon all of us. Shall we gather with that Spirit? It is there for each of us and calls each of us to vocation in this House, each in our own way - to gather or to scatter with our response. How are you called to this great gathering of the kingdom?