The Kingdom has come

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

THE KINGDOM HAS COME

Luke 11:14-20

14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15 But some of them said, "By Beelzebub, 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 Beelzebub. 19 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, 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 to you.

NIV

In response to these challenges and charges against Jesus that he was casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, who is Satan, Jesus gives them an important lesson. But it is also interesting these people felt that Satan had more power than Jesus or God for that matter. Why would Jesus cast out demons in the name of Satan? But that is what they thought he was doing. It is odd that even today people give more credence to the powers of darkness, or the supernatural, the paranormal than they do God. Here Jesus tells them it is absolutely stupid to think that Satan would cast out demons from people because he would be working against himself, divided. His own purpose is to have his demons possess people, to overtake them, control them, lame them, blind them spiritually to the things of God. Why would he want to free a man from the control of his demons? But this is the kind of people who lived then and live now who refuse to accept the power of God in their lives. This teaching of Jesus about a house divided cannot stand is exactly what Satan would have among the body of Christ. Although this teaching is about how Satan would not be the power by which he drives out demons, but that it is by the finger of God, many of us have taken that verse slightly out of context. However it is true that a house divided cannot stand. This applies to marriage as well as to the body of Christ. If a husband and wife are divided on the direction their lives should go or a host of other issues, it may well be the reason so many marriages fail. As far as the Body of Christ goes we have witnessed it being divided in so many ways through denominationalism over the many years. Some agreeing has occurred and certainly the church has not fallen at this point. This is not because of the power of man, or the power of Satan, but by the finger of God. He has kept his church, his people from falling. Although many of us may differ on some issues, some interpretations, the vast majority of us believe Jesus is the Son of God and it is by him alone we gain eternal life. United on this single issue we will stand against all the powers of darkness. The other truth we see here is about knowing the kingdom has come to us. When we see the finger of God at work in our lives, we can be certain the kingdom has come to us. There is no supernatural, no paranormal, no power of darkness that can counterfeit the finger of God. Satan might attempt to in order to deceive even the elect, but those who have the indwelling of the Spirit of God will be able to discern a lie, a counterfeit, from the truth for the Spirit brings with him the gift of discernment. We can be certain, without any doubt whatsoever, the kingdom has come to us. We live in the kingdom of God.