Jesus gives a proverb to complete the parable of the strong man. He explains that if the lawyers and Pharisees continue to claim Jesus' power comes from Satan, they will share Satan's fate.

The Jewish religious leaders think they are God's servants, guarding God's kingdom against Satan's infiltration. However, they are Satan's "spoils," gathered by him and guarded by demonic forces. They think Jesus releases people from demonic captivity by Satan's authority. Yet Jesus acts by the will of God the Father, and the leaders desperately need Him to storm Satan's palace and rescue them (Luke 11:14–22). Until then, they are against Christ, serving Satan as their master and father (John 8:44), not fighting against him.

That they will "scatter" is ironic. One infamous Pharisee—Saul, later known as Paul—will be responsible for persecuting the church in Jerusalem so badly that Christians scatter into Judea, Samaria, and even Syria (Acts 8). The Christians will take the gospel with them and build new churches, thus foiling Paul's plan to destroy them. But about thirty-five years later, in AD 70, the Jews will scatter as Rome destroys Jerusalem. God's plan all along was for the church to scatter and spread the good news of reconciliation through Jesus around the world. For Israel, God long ago promised to gather the scattered Jews and return them to their home (Zechariah 10).

Jesus has already addressed the concept of being with or against Him in the reverse. When John mentioned that they saw an unknown man casting out demons in Jesus' name, Jesus told the disciples, "Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you" (Luke 9:50). The dividing line is clear. It doesn't matter if you appear to be the leader of a religion of God-worshipers or if you appear to follow Jesus in an inappropriate way. Those on the side of demons and Satan are enemies of Jesus; those who join with Jesus in the war against demons and Satan are with Him.

Modern readers should be aware of how often entertainment and lifestyle trends cross this line. There are only two sources of supernatural power: Satan and demons, or God. "Spells," performing rituals while wishing "with intention," and interacting with any perceived supernatural being other than God is demon-worship. There is no "goddess." There are no deities for different areas in life. There is only one God. He is the Creator of all, including all other spiritual beings (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:15–17). Anything in the spiritual world that is not of God and to His glory is from Satan and his demons who rebelled against God and seek to destroy His work (Isaiah 14:12–15; Ezekiel 28:12–19; Luke 10:18; John 8:44; Jude 1:6). God allows them certain power for the time being, but they will one day be completely destroyed (1 Peter 5:8; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20).

In entertainment, it has become immensely popular to portray demons in a sympathetic manner. They can come across as lost, repentant, or even redeemable. That is not who demons are. They made a choice to rebel against God, and they will not waver. Their desire is to steal the rightful worship humans owe God and then destroy those humans who are made in God's image (John 8:44; 1 Peter 5:8).

Jesus' words are for all of us. Those who follow Him and rely on the Holy Spirit will join in His work of gathering more followers who worship God. Those who seek security, power, or even entertainment from demonic forces are actively rebelling against Jesus and are in danger of spending eternity with those same evil beings.

Luke 11:21–23 contains Jesus' parable of the strong man to show that just as Jesus can cast out one demon, He can destroy Satan's kingdom. The Jewish religious leaders accused Jesus of casting out a demon under the authority of Satan. Jesus counters that not only does He control demons, He also can and will destroy Satan (Luke 11:15–20). In the next section, Jesus explains that if people do not choose Him, they by default choose Satan (Luke 11:24–26). This parable is also in Matthew 12:29–30 and Mark 3:27, right before their accounts of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which Luke skips.

Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray and explains God's intent to give "good" to those who ask. He then exorcizes a demon and refutes the claim that His power is satanic. Jesus explains that unreasonable skeptics will only see the "sign of Jonah." He then criticizes the superficial legalism of the Pharisees. In response, they plot against Him.

In what some scholars refer to as "The Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27), Jesus prepares His disciples for His crucifixion and resurrection and the establishment of the church. The description begins with Christ teaching the disciples how to spread the news of the kingdom of God and reaffirming how they will be blessed, culminating in the Lord's Prayer (Luke 9:51—11:13). Luke 11 finishes with accounts of leaders who reject Jesus. The remainder of the travelogue gives a pattern of teaching on the kingdom of God, miracles, and explanations of salvation. Then Jesus enters Jerusalem to face the cross.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.

Accessed 11/21/2024 12:09:41 PM

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