A House Divided

 Luke 11: 15-26

Whoever is not with me

¹⁵ But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” ¹⁶ Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

¹⁷ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. ¹⁸ If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²¹ “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. ²² But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.

²³ “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

²⁴ “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ²⁵ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”

Division leads to downfall, a proven adage, which Jesus uses to set the  Pharisees straight, and us too.  We live at a time when evidences of division are rampant not only in this country, but in the world, from the poorest countries to the most politically powerful. What fuels this discord? Fear, jealousy, hatred, the desire for power and control, are some possibilities. It is clear that love is absent, and that the door is wide open for the powers of evil to step in and cause chaos. Jesus offers a solution: have him on your side; ask him to drive out demons and guard the house; accept his kingdom based on love. We cannot overcome or eliminate division without him.  Come, Lord, Jesus, make us One with you and one another. 

Bro. Rene