Hi everyone. Welcome again to logical bible study. This is the Catholic podcast where we take an in-depth, look at scripture and in particular, we do an exegesis of verse-by-verse analysis of the Gospel readings, that you would hear it today's mass. So, if you went to mass today, you would hear this really interesting reading from Luke. Chapter 11, and that's what we will have a go out today. So Luke chapter 11, verses 14 to 26. Jesus was casting out a devil
and it was dumb. But when the devil had gone out the dumb man spoke and the people were amazed, but some of them said, it is through be eligible. The prince of devils that he casts out devils, Others asked him as a test for a sign from heaven, but knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, every Kingdom divided against itself is headed for ruin and a household divided against itself
collapses. So, to with Satan, if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand since you assert that it is through be eligible that I cast out devils? Now if it is through be eligible but I cast out Devils through whom, do your own experts, cast them out, let them be your judges then, but if it is through the Finger of God, that I cast out Devils, then know that the kingdom of God has
overtaken you so long. As a strong man, fully armed guards, his own Palace, his goods are understood herbed, but when someone stronger than he is attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away. Away all the weapons. He relied on and shares out his spoil. 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. It wanders through waterless country looking for a place to
rest and not finding one. It says I will go back to the home, I came from but on arrival, finding it swept and tidied it then goes off and brings seven other Spirits more wicked than itself and they go in and set up house there. So That the man ends up by being worse than he was before. So fascinating reading today about devils and about Beelzebub, the prince of devils and about the kingdom of God,
coming on the people. So, let's start by asking what the context is. So Jesus Is On The Way From Galilee up to Jerusalem and he's doing Ministry along the way. We're starting at verse 14, it says Jesus was casting out a devil or a demon. Now, we know, from earlier in the gospels, that Jesus has the power to cast out demons. He's been doing that for a while now and this particular demon is dumb. The Greek word here Cabos, which is translated dumb can actually mean deaf as well, or it could
even be someone. That's both a deaf-mute. So we'll go with your lectionary translation here and assume that the person is dumb. So, the demon is causing this person to be unable to speak. This itself, shows the demons have the power to cause quite severe physical conditions, in some cases, some physical conditions can be attributed to Demons. Now, it's likely that this man who is possessed has been brought to other exercise. It's because they did have other Exorcist set the time, but it
hadn't worked. So now they bring him to Jesus. So the Devil comes out of the dumb, man. And he speaks now, we're not told how exactly Jesus does the exorcism here. Whether he uses certain words, or if he lays his hands on the, we're not told that just that he is able to cast out the demon and the people were amazed, which makes sense, because presumably a demon, which can cause dumbness is probably quite a strong demon and no other exercise have been able to successfully.
Successfully cast out the demon but here Jesus can do it. So the people are amazed now at this point Matthews version of the story adds in some interesting information. It says that the crowds say to themselves nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel. So in the Jewish tradition, there's people who can hear lepers, there's curing the sick, raising the dead and expelling demons. Of course, that has been done during Israel's history, but
never quite like this. In a sudden sequence of incidents by one man who is Is announcing the coming of God's kingdom. This person who showed up who can do all of these amazing things all at once. So never has Israel seen anything like this verse 15, but some of them said, now, Matthews version of this account. Makes it clear that it's primarily the Pharisees who were saying the things that were about to here. So it's not the crowds in general.
It's apparently the Pharisees and they say it is through be eligible. The prince of devils. So let's stop and talk about who be eligible is. It's the name of a Canaanite god in the Old Testament and it roughly means the the prince God or the prince of the Masters Palace or something like that. So you can see that it's mentioned. Specifically in second Kings, chapter 1, verse to be eligible is one of the Canaanite gods that some of the Israelites ended up, worshiping the word be
eligible itself. Derives from two other words so Baal which means Lord and Z ball. Which means exalted dwelling. So when you put barnsey ball together, you get be eligible prince. The prince God. So to the Jews at this time, basically all false gods are considered to be demons. We've lost sight of this in in a lot of our physiology as well, but certainly the chime of Jesus and the Jews believe that most false gods that other religions worship to were, in fact, a real
beings. But they are demons. So they understood be eligible. The prince God to basically be the prince of demons or roughly equivalent to what we would consider today to be the devil. They would call that be eligible. So in here, they accuse Jesus, they say it is through be eligible, the prince of devils that he casts out Devils. So they're saying that Jesus is actually possessed by be eligible and that's why he can
cast out demons. We know that the devil is able to perform Supernatural works and the Jews know that as well. They know that the demons and the devil can do quite miraculous things particularly sorcery. So, the crowd to juicers that, Jesus must be doing sorcery, he must be empowered by the devil here. Notice that the Pharisees or the crowd acknowledge that Jesus is doing something Supernatural here.
They can see he's got something special something Supernatural, but they're not willing to accept that. It's from God. They think it's from Satan or be eligible. Verse 16 others in the crowd asked him as a test for a sign from heaven. So there's another group in the crowd, probably Pharisees again, who want Jesus to prove that he really is sent from God by doing a miraculous sign. They don't believe he's from God, so they don't think he'll be able to do it.
So they're testing him. It's a kind of skepticism. Now, Jesus has already been doing miraculous signs. You would think that by now, they've seen enough miraculous signs to prove that he really is, who he claims he is, including the one he just did he just cut? Cast out pretty significant demon, but this group of people probably the Pharisees they want something blindingly.
Obvious, they want an on-the-spot miraculous Cosmic phenomenon, so it's kind of like they're saying, Force us to believe so that we will not have to trust in you or change our hearts. So they really asking to do it in a way that will mean that they don't have to have genuine faith. I just want to be shocked into it. They want a full complete 100% proof that's going to force them to believe that really, they're
asking for the easy option here. Even then if you imagine if Jesus did do some miraculous sign, they probably still attributed to the devil. This group of Pharisees or the crowds here, who are skeptical, it's kind of reminiscent of an incident in Numbers, Chapter 14, verse 11, where God is dealing with a very skeptical group of Israelites. And he says, how long will this people spurn me? How long will they refuse to believe me?
Despite all the signs? I have performed among them so Jesus is probably thinking pretty similar to God in that number situation, verse 17. But Jesus knowing what they were thinking. Notice this Jesus is able to read multiple people's minds at once and he knows what they're thinking and at this point he realizes the crowd has two main objections. There's one group who think is empowered by be eligible or the devil and there's another group
that are asking for a sign. He's going to deal with both of those objections in turn. Now, in today's passage is just dealing with the first one. The charge that has empowered by the devil. He doesn't get to the second one in today's passage, but he will eventually. Now, the other gospels tell us at this point Jesus actually calls the Pharisees over to teach them, so he gives him a
teaching opportunity. He and he's going to give them a kind of mini parable about a divided house to help them. Understand what is really going on in these exorcisms? He wants them to understand, it's not be eligible. So he gives them this mini parable about a divided house. Here's how he starts in verse 17, every Kingdom divided against itself, is heading for ruin, and a household divided against itself, collapses. So, you use, Is the analogy of a
house and the kingdom. And the same point is made in both. If there's internal fighting amongst a kingdom or a house, well then the kingdom or the house won't last long, it's not going to be able to stand, that makes sense. And of course, they might be quite familiar with this because they were under the control of the Romans at this time in history. And they will be quite familiar with the internal struggles that go on between the Roman emperors, verse 18.
Jesus says so too with Satan. If he Is divided against himself. How can his kingdom stand since you assert that is through? Be eligible that I cast out Devils. So Jesus, introduces Satan here. That's the word. He's going to use here for the devil. Notice the Jesus. He clearly teaches. That Satan has his own kingdom. He actually uses that word. He says, how can Satan's kingdom
stand. So from this verse, we learn that Jesus that Satan genuinely does have a kingdom and of course, that's what Satan said in one of his Temptations. He said, I can give you all the kingdoms of the world. Now when he says to the to the Pharisees, or the crowd here, how could his kingdom stand? If it is divided against himself? It's a rhetorical question. The obvious answer is his kingdom would not be able to
stand. That would not be possible if there was fighting going on within his kingdom. So Jesus Point here is if Satan was being forced to get rid of his own demons or if be eligible was getting rid of his own demons and be eligible works for Satan, it would not be a very strong Kingdom. But we know this Satan's kingdom is strong and it is still standing.
So that can't be right. So he's giving them kind of logical reasoning here to help them show that look, obviously, I'm not casting out demons using Satan's power because Satan is very strong and his kingdom is strong, and if I was casting out demons in his name, his kingdom would no longer be strong and that doesn't make sense. So he's trying to get them to realize that he is not acting in the name of Satan. Why would Satan do that to himself basically verse 19.
Now if it is through be eligible that I cast out Devils through whom do your own experts, cast them out some translations, have this as your son's through, whom do your son's cast them out. So here, Jesus, clearly teaches that some of the Jewish leaders in his time did have the power to do exorcisms. That's interesting. We often don't realize that but they're apparently were some Jewish leaders that could do it.
But we know from other places in the gospel, But even those Exorcist can't do exorcisms on their own authority alone, they have to call on the name of God or the name of a prophet where is Jesus can do it on his own authority. So Jesus point is that look if you want to say that I'm empowered by Satan, when I cast out demons, you're going to have to say the same thing about your own experts.
And that's another really good point that Jesus makes there and Jesus finishes that section by saying, we'll let them be your judges, then then he goes to verse 20. But if it is, Through the Finger of God that I cast out Devils. Then know that the kingdom of God has overtaken. You a better translation. There might be the kingdom of God has come upon you. This is a profound teaching if it is through the Finger of God, that I cast out Devils, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Here we learn that Satan's kingdom does have dominion over the world, but through Jesus Incarnation and his teaching and his healings, the kingdom of God is breaking into the world at the time. That Jesus is saying this, the That's Satan's works are clearly being undone through the ministry of Jesus. That should indicate to the crowds that the kingdom of God, which they waited for for a long time that has now obviously arrived in the person of Jesus.
He's saying to them. Look if I'm casting out demons, this is a strong sign that the kingdom of God has arrived and it's turning back. It's destroying the works of Satan in a sense. This is also a warning for the Pharisees to get on the right side of the battle. He's saying the victim of the kingdom of God is here. Whose kingdom are you? Going to belong to some Scholars think there might be links here to Exodus chapter 8, verse 19.
Remember that famous scene where the Pharaohs magicians are able to. Replicate all the Miracles that Moses is doing eventually at the end of Exodus chapter 8, verse 19, Pharaoh's magicians, finally confessed that their power to do sorcery, is weaker than God's power. And in fact, in that phrase, they actually use the phrase, the Finger of God. The same phrase Jesus uses here. Interestingly Matthews version of this phrase. He identifies the Finger of God as the spirit of God.
So those two phrases are apparently interchangeable. What's the Finger of God? How does what's God's action in the world? It's the spirit of God. That's what Jesus is casting out demons using Jesus, is now going to give another mini Parable to help them understand how the kingdom of God, is overpowering the kingdom of Satan. So he's giving them an insight into the mechanics here. Verse 21. So long is a strong man, fully armed guards, his own Palace, his goods are undisturbed.
So the mental picture here, his painting, is that if a man is guarding his possessions, diligently, a strong man, well then no one is going to be able to deal to steal his Goods verse 22. But when someone stronger than he attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons. He relied on and shares out his
spoil. So the image here, isn't When stronger man comes along defeats the man, in the palace, and takes his Goods. What's going on here, Jesus doesn't make it entirely clear but we can work it out. Logically. Jesus is saying that Satan is the strong man guarding his possessions. So he's the one who has a palace in what would his possessions be humans? Satan's possessions are humans and that's what he wants to guard.
But Jesus is the even stronger man who has come to claim the goods of Satan. So he's come to claim people. Back into the kingdom, and that makes sense in context, doesn't it? Because by Jesus performing these exorcisms, Satan's kingdom is being weakened. More people are being transferred from Satan's kingdom to God's kingdom. That's quite a nice analogy,
isn't it? People moving from the kingdom of darkness, to the kingdom of light, that's actually developed more later in the New Testament. If you look particularly at Hebrews 2:14-15, there's that language of Jesus transferring us to his kingdom from Satan's kingdom some Scholars.
Think the might also be an additional reference here to a passage in the Old Testament or a couple of passages in Isaiah when Jesus he talks about plundering his goods and dividing The Spoils of the strongman there's similar language used in Isaiah 49 verses, 24 to 25 and Isaiah 53. Verse 12. There's some descriptions there of the coming Messiah. How he's going to kind of divide
the spoils. And so some think that that's kind of fulfilled here in the way that Jesus talks about how he's going to break into Satan's, Kingdom and take the spoils for himself. So that's an interesting possible connection. Well, here we have a clear teaching that Jesus is more powerful and Satan, some Christian Cults. Don't agree with that.
Some think that Jesus and Satan are equal will hear Jesus himself in his own Parable describes himself as stronger than Satan. So that's an important thing to keep in mind. In fact, John the Baptist uses the same Greek word when he says earlier, one mightier than I is coming. John 3:16 John, the Baptist says Jesus is mightier than I same Greek word.
Now marks version, if you look at marks version of this same passage and it's important to compare across the synoptic gospels where possible marks version seems a little more precise. When Jesus describes this mini Parable and marks version, he describes it as involving two phases. First, the strong man and is bound and then his goods are plundered.
Whereas in Luke's version we have a shorter version which doesn't talk about the Being but marks version here, seems to be a bit more precise and you can have a read of that. It's in Mark chapter 3 we get to verse 23 and Jesus says, he who is not with me is against me and he who does not gather with me scatters. Now this is clearly a metaphor
of some sort. It could be an agricultural image referring to harvesting as in those who don't help with the Harvest. A depicted as doing the opposite of harvesting which is scattering grain or maybe it refers to gathering in scattering people. It could either option but either way it's a metaphor. That means this. Basically Jesus says if you're not helping me then you are completely opposed to me. So Jesus says that while he's on Earth, there's no neutral.
You're either with him or you're against him. Now, in this context it's a reference to the Pharisees who are opposing Jesus by their opposition to Jesus. They're actually furthering the king. Name of Satan rather than the kingdom of God. Those are the only two kingdoms in effect. You're either part of one or the other. That verse would be quite striking for Luke's original
readers. He who is not with me is against me. So it would have forced them to think about, which side they are on and we should think about that too. Are we part of the kingdom of God or the kingdom of Satan? Both of those kingdoms are still on Earth today. Although the kingdom of God is expanding, now, in Matthew and marks version of this same
story. This is the point at which Jesus goes on to describe the unforgivable sin but in Luke's version, it's actually in the next chapter in chapter 12. So we'll talk about that when we get there. Jesus is now going to continue the theme of casting out demons. He has more to say about it. He's now going to explain to the crowd, why it is important that the kingdom of Satan, is actually replaced with something else. It's an interesting subtle thing, he's going to say here.
Now, this next bit doesn't appear to be a parable, it could be taken that way, but it appears that Jesus is actually describing the way things really work in the Demonic realm. So he's describing them actual State of Affairs here. So here's what he says. As when an unclean Spirit goes out of a man, it wanders through waterless country, looking for a
place to rest. So the image here that Jesus is setting up is when a demon is cast out of a person in that Society then it would kind of wander around the countryside of Israel looking for someone to inhabit and not finding one. It says, I will go back to the home where I came from. So the demon can't find anyone to inhabit and so it goes back
to the place where it came from. The person that was cast out of now this could be a hypothetical situation, but I think Jesus intends us to understand that demons can operate this way. So it goes back to the person that came from verse 25 but on arrival, finding it. Swept and tidied. So the demon comes back to the person who was cast out of and he finds that. There's no one inhibiting the person's body. It's just waiting to be inhabited so it then goes off and brings seven other Spirits
more wicked than itself. Now, seven is obviously a symbolic. Jewish number. So it could mean many spirits or Perfection of evil or something like that, or it could literally mean he gets a seven literal other demons. So, think about this picture. Jesus is painting here, a demon goes and gets many other demons more wicked than itself. Or in fact, more literally more evil than itself and they all go in and set up house there.
So all of them come back into that person who has been cleared of demons and they all go in inhabit, the person again. So it is possible for someone to have a demon cast out of them and then To need another exorcism later in life and indeed assist. Today will tell you that that can happen if the person allows themself or to be inhabited by a demon again, or they don't replace it with the kingdom of God. And that's the point. Jesus is going to make here. Why does Jesus even bring this
up here? He seems to be getting into some very specific demonic theology here. Well, the point he seems to be making is that he wants the crowds to understand that in his time whenever a Jewish rabbi or A Jewish expert, does an exorcism. Then really, they're just they're not, there's nothing stopping the demon from coming back into the person.
He so, he's telling the crowd that if they really want to do a proper exorcism and allow God to work in the person, they need to put something back into the person to prevent the demon from ever coming back. They need to fill the void that the demon has left with something positive, the kingdom of God. And Jesus says that, if that happens, if the seven demons do go back into the man, that man ends up being worse than He was before the more literal translation here is a bit better.
I think it says and that last state of the man becomes worse than the first so it's clearly far worse for a man to be possessed by 7D demons rather than just one. So Jesus is going to go on and explain how to solve that problem, how to prevent it. They're from being seven demons that come back into someone in this case. Now, later in the New Testament similar language is used for Christians and their salvation. So The language of that statute, the last state is worse than the first.
It is used later in Paul's letters and Hebrews in reference to people who used to be Christians, but then they turn their back on. God, it says well the last state is worse than the first because they're more accountable to know the truth but they still turn their back on God. So we need to keep that in mind to the point.
At this stage Jesus is making is that if a demon is cast out of a man, something else needs to come and inhabit him in order to prevent worse demons from coming back Now here Jesus doesn't exactly explain what should enter the man? He doesn't give us an explanation of that but I think in context we can work it out. Jesus is suggesting that he means the kingdom of God needs to claim the man.
So he wants the crowds to understand that if you cast the kingdom of Satan out of someone you then need to put the kingdom of God into the person elsewhere, Jesus explains more clearly. That people need to be inhabited by the Holy Spirit specifically. So if you look at 1 Corinthians 3 verse 16, It says that if a spirit of God dwells in a person or the Holy Spirit, then there's going to be no room for evil spirits to dwell there. In fact Matthews version of this
text. Remember says it is by the spirit of God that I cast out demons. So apparently one aspect of Jesus exorcisms that makes it better than the common Jewish exorcisms is when Jesus does an exorcism. He replaces it with the spirit of God, he puts the Holy Spirit into a person. After he casts the demons out and that's what he wants the crowds to understand. It's not just enough to cast out
one demon. You need to actually understand that there's a war between kingdoms and we need to claim people for the kingdom of God. So Jesus has addressed, the first crowds concern or the first concern from the crowd about casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub. All and now he's going to address the second which is about. Can you show us a sign Jesus? And he's going to do that in the coming versus. That's the end of our text for today.
Let's turn to the catechism to see what it has to say about this passage paragraph 700. This is in symbols of the Holy Spirit and here we learned that the finger can be used as Symbol of the Holy Spirit. Interestingly paragraph, seven hundred says it is by the Finger of God, that Jesus cast out
demons. If God's law was written on tablets of stone by the Finger of God, then the letter from Christ entrusted to the care of the Apostles is written with the spirit of the Living. God not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts the him Veni Creator. Spiritus invokes the Holy Spirit as the finger of the father's right hand. So That language of the Finger of God, is actually used all throughout scripture and paragraph 700 attempts to bring all those references together
paragraph. 385 this is a really interesting one. It's in the section about the fall of Man and the problem of evil. And here's what it says, God is infinitely, good and all his works are good yet, no one can escape the experience of suffering, all the evils in nature, which seem to be linked to the limitations proper to creatures and above all to the question of moral. Where does evil come from? I saw it when several comes and there was no solution. So the st.
Augustine and his own painful Quest would only be resolved by his conversion to the Living. God for the mystery of lawlessness is clarified. Only in the light of the mystery of our religion, the revelation of divine Love In Christ manifested. At the same time, the extent of evil and the super abundance of Grace we must therefore approach the question of the origin of Evil by Fixing the eyes of our faith on him who alone is its conqueror.
Quite an amazing paragraph there about the Theology of the fall and the problem of evil, and that last part of it, where it talks about, in order to understand the extent of evil, we need to understand the super abundance of Grace. It actually references here, Luke chapter 11, where it talks about. Jesus casting out, evil and putting the kingdom of God back into people. So hopefully you found those paragraphs. Interesting, I'll include those in the show notes as always.
Thanks for listening today. If you thought today's text was interesting in the exegesis was useful, then please share it around with people. So more and more people can come to know God's word, more deeply, thanks and will continue in the coming days.