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THE GOSPEL OF LUKE _ IS JESUS A DEVIL?

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IS JESUS A DEVIL?

“Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, ‘Any country in civil war for very long is wasted. A constantly squabbling family falls to pieces. If Satan cancels Satan, is there any Satan left? You accuse me of ganging up with the devil, the prince of demons, to cast out demons, but if you’re slinging devil-mud at me, calling me a devil who kicks out devils, doesn’t the same mud stick on your exorcists? But if it’s God’s finger I’m pointing that sends the demons on their way, then God’s kingdom is here for sure.'” Luke 11:17-20.

Talk about twisted thinking! In their eagerness to discredit Jesus, these opponents forgot to think logically. In fact they were teetering close to being taken over by demons themselves. Who thinks up an accusation like that except Jesus’ arch-enemy? To be saying what they said without considering the implications of their accusation meant that their brains had been overtaken by the deceiver.

Jesus’ reply was masterfully simple and wise. One wonders whether they were dumbstruck by His reply or just plain obstinate in sticking to their opinion. How can a divided kingdom or even a divided household stand firm? Division is the opposite of unity. Since unity (ECHAD), which represents the very image of God, is what holds the universe together, then division will tear it apart.

Anyone with a little bit of understanding knows that division in the ranks, be it in an organization, or in any group, human or animal, will cause it to disintegrate. Division in the function of the body is called sickness and will bring about death if not treated. How then can Jesus be driving demons out using Satan’s power? The idea is ludicrous.

Just the opposite is true. What Jesus had just done and what He was doing across Israel was a witness to something very different. He was getting rid of the illegal occupants in people’s lives and restoring God’s rule in human bodies and human spirits. For too long Satan had had his way with people, deceiving them into believing that he was in charge.  Jesus was setting the record straight by evicting him from the people who belonged to God, not to him.

The very fact that the demons gave way at His command was evidence of who was really in charge. This was building up to an even greater victory over Satan, already accomplished from eternity’s perspective but to be effected in time when His enemies, under the influence of His great enemy, would have Him killed, thinking that was the end of Him!

What a blessing that I am part of that living proof of who is actually in charge. Through the same ‘finger of God’, the Holy Spirit, all who believe in Jesus have been rescued from the kingdom that is causing the world to fall apart, and are now a part of the kingdom over which Jesus rules, and are being restores to perfect oneness with God.

Everyone, Everywhere

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EVERYONE EVERYWHERE

 “When the sun went down, everyone who had anyone sick with some ailment or other brought them to Him. One by one He placed His hands on them and healed them. Demons left in droves, screaming, ‘Son of God! You’re the Son of God!’ But He shut them up, refusing to let them speak because they knew too much, knew Him to be the Messiah.” Luke 4:40-41 (The Message).

After the initial excitement of this new prophet who said and did out-of-this-world things, they all settled into a routine. They dutifully waited until after sunset, when the Sabbath was over, before they brought their ailing friends and relatives to Him for a touch and a word.

Don’t you love the “one by one” bit? He didn’t run a mass healing campaign. ‘Everyone who is sick, come to the front. Now pray a healing prayer.’ He touched them, one by one. I can imagine that, in those few moments, when He placed His hand on a fevered brow, a diseased limb, or an aching belly, the word that He spoke was a tender expression of love, of kindness and reassurance. God was there and He was showing His people just how big His heart of compassion was for them.

Deep into the night they came, patiently waiting their turn for the Master’s touch, with a bubble of expectant excitement inside. They knew that tonight, when they put their heads down to sleep, they would be free of aches and pains and fever, and they would wake to a brand new day.

“He left the next day for open country. But the crowds went looking for Him and, when they found Him, clung to Him so He couldn’t go on. He told them, ‘don’t you realise that there are yet other villages where I have to tell the Message of God’s kingdom, that this is the work God sent me to do?’ Meanwhile He continued preaching in the meeting places of Galilee.” Luke 4:42-44 (The Message).

A strange way to respond to a successful healing campaign, wasn’t it? At the height of success and popularity, He goes missing! Leaves town! Escapes into the country! Was Jesus suffering from “burn out”? Already? His ministry had only just started and He couldn’t take the pace?

Far from it! He knew that His commission was far bigger than a local Capernaum success campaign. He had a message to deliver and work to do that extended over the entire nation, not just to a little pocket of people in Capernaum. Excited and happy as they were, He had to leave them and move on because others needed His message and His ministry.

So what was He actually doing? If He was not running a healing campaign, what was His purpose? Did He come to tell them that, if they accepted Him as Lord and Saviour, they would go to heaven when they died? Was that the sole purpose for His coming? The way the gospel is presented from many pulpits today, that might be what we think He came to do – to die on the cross so that we can go to heaven! Really!

Jesus was always about God’s kingdom. For too long the Liar and Usurper had held sway over the people and they were living with the result — emotional pain, physical distress, social and political upheaval. That was not God’s way. Jesus came to show and tell the real story about God’s rule. Get back under His rule, follow His way and things will be very different.

There was one major obstacle to becoming a part of His restoration plan — sin — the big barrier between God and man. But Jesus came to deal with that as well so that there would be nothing to stop people from returning to the Father and coming back under His rule — right in the heart of enemy territory.

But everyone needed to know, not just Nazareth — and they didn’t want to know — and Capernaum — and they couldn’t get enough. Everyone, everywhere, so they could choose.

You, too.