What Jesus Did : Luke 11:19 - You're Asking for Trouble!
by Phil Ware
You're Asking for Trouble! - Luke 11:19
"But if I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons, then what power do your people use when they force out demons? So your own people will prove that you are wrong." (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
Jesus had been accused of casting out demons by the power of demons. His second response to their accusation is very simple. If they are going to explain that his power is coming from Satan, then where does the power of other Jewish exorcists come from? Jesus wants them to understand that if they are going to make that accusation against him, then they are implicating their fellow Jewish teachers who do similar things. While Jesus clearly has power over demons, Satan, and evil, he also has to battle the opponents who accuse him. To communicate effectively, he must use their own logic and law to help the true seekers understand him. While he will never win over his "dyed in the wool" opponents, he can help bring those who are genuinely interested closer to himself by helping them grasp his message by using terms they understand as well as by using their forms of rhetoric. We can learn from Jesus how to speak to others more effectively. We must speak in ways others can understand so they can find their way to the truth!
Today's Prayer
Father, help me as I seek to communicate your truth and grace to those who look at the world differently than I do. Help me find wise and effective ways to share your message based on the way others understand and evaluate truth. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
One time Jesus was sending a demon out of a man that could not talk. When the demon came out, the man was able to speak. The people were amazed. But some of the people said, "He uses the power of Beelzebul (the devil) to force demons out of people. Beelzebul is the ruler of demons." Other people wanted to test Jesus. They asked Jesus to show them a sign (proof) from heaven. But Jesus knew the things they were thinking. So Jesus said to the people, "Every kingdom that is divided and fights against itself will be destroyed. And a family that fights against itself will break apart. So if Satan (the devil) is fighting against himself, then how will his kingdom continue? You say that I use the power of Beelzebul (the devil) to force out demons. But if I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons, then what power do your people use when they force out demons? So your own people will prove that you are wrong. But I use the power of God to force out demons. This shows that the kingdom of God has come to you! "When a strong man with many weapons guards his own house, then the things in his house are safe. But suppose a stronger man comes and defeats him. The stronger man will take away the weapons that the first man trusted to keep his house safe. Then the stronger man will do what he wants with the other man's things. "If a person is not with me, he is against me. The person that does not work with me is working against me. "When an evil spirit {from the devil} comes out of a person, that spirit travels through dry places, looking for a place to rest. But that spirit finds no place to rest. So the spirit says, 'I will go back to the home (person) I left.' When the spirit comes back to that person, the spirit finds that home (person) swept clean and made neat. Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself. Then all the evil spirits go into that person and live there. And that person has even more trouble than he had before." When Jesussaid these things, a woman with the people there began to speak. She said to Jesus, "What a great blessing God gave your mother, because she gave birth to you and fed you." But Jesus said, "The people that hear the teaching of God and obey it—they are the people that are truly happy!"-- Luke 11:14-28 (ERV)
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