Luke 11

House Divided

Posted on by Betsy

I am sure you are familiar with the famous phrase used by Abraham Lincoln that proclaimed that houses that are divided against themselves are unable to stand. He said this in his address in 1858 when he was chosen to be the Republican candidate for the United States Senate, representing Illinois. The issue at hand was slavery. Lincoln maintained that slavery would destroy the unity of the United States. He postulated that the union could not be maintained with half of the states allowing something that the other half vehemently opposed. He was prophetic in his words, and the Civil War broke out in 1861.

But not only was he prophetical, but he was also biblical. The warning about a house divided is found in three New Testament books. We see it in Mark 3:25, in Matthew 12:25, and in today’s passage from Luke. Jesus warned that a house that is torn apart by divisions will collapse and cautioned that kingdoms involved in civil wars become wastelands.

The issue in this passage was the reaction onlookers had when he threw a demon out of a man who was mute. The Jewish leaders could also cast out demons but believed that it could only be done if you called out the demon by name. Because this demon caused muteness, they thought the man couldn’t be healed. Jesus’ actions caused many in the crowd to accuse him of partnering with Satan to accomplish this.

Luke 11 (Common English Bible)

14 Jesus was throwing out a demon that causes muteness. When the demon was gone, the man who couldn’t speak began to talk. The crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He throws out demons with the authority of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons.”16 Others were testing him, seeking a sign from heaven.

17 Because Jesus knew what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom involved in civil war becomes a wasteland, and a house torn apart by divisions will collapse. 18 If Satan is at war with himself, how will his kingdom endure? I ask this because you say that I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul. 19 If I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul, then by whose authority do your followers throw them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. 20 But if I throw out demons by the power of God, then God’s kingdom has already overtaken you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are secure.22 But as soon as a stronger one attacks and overpowers him, the stronger one takes away the armor he had trusted and divides the stolen goods.

Jesus employed strong logic and clever rhetoric when he pointed out that if he was in league with Satan and yet cast a demon of Satan out of a man, Satan’s entire enterprise would be at war with itself and collapse. No indeed, it was the power of God that accomplished this.

This is such good news for anyone who finds themself in bondage today. In many ways we all find ourselves facing inner demons that threaten to undo us. But hear this good news! There is no demon of temptation, self-destruction, addiction, sin, grief, abandonment, or failure that God can’t overcome.

23 “Whoever isn’t with me is against me, and whoever doesn’t gather with me, scatters.

Who will you stand with? Who stands with you? There is only one answer. Jesus is the stronger man who disarms even the strongest of Satan’s attackers. Jesus engaged Satan in a battle and showed without question that he is the stronger man. He defeated Satan and disarmed him. At the end of the passage, Jesus reminded us that we are either for him or against him. There is no middle ground. If you stand with Jesus, you will be released from your bondage. Praise be to God!

Path to the Sun by Ginger Endreson

Don’t Give Up

Posted on by Betsy

Are you someone who is tenacious and refuses to give up, regardless of the obstacles you encounter? Are you like a dog with a bone? Or is it in your personality to assess a situation and decide to move on if things aren’t going your way? Take a look at today’s Scripture and see what Jesus says about overcoming obstacles with prayer:

Luke 18 (Common English Bible)

18 Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people.3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him, asking, ‘Give me justice in this case against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused but finally said to himself, I don’t fear God or respect people, 5 but I will give this widow justice because she keeps bothering me. Otherwise, there will be no end to her coming here and embarrassing me.” 

6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 Won’t God provide justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he be slow to help them? 8 I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Human One comes, will he find faithfulness on earth?”

In this Scripture, Jesus told a parable about what happens when we pray continuously. This story demonstrates the power of persistant prayer and NOT GETTING DISCOURAGED in our prayers. We can be sure that if an unjust judge will acquiesce to the persistence of a widow’s plea, how much more will a God who loves you enough to sacrifice his son for you hear and answer your prayers!

Luke 11: 13 reminds us:13 If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

God is never slow to help us. He hears us immediately when we pray and answers according to his will and what is good for us. Sometimes that can be confusing if we are praying for things that God knows are not good for us. And sometimes his immediate answer is “wait” or “no”. But Scripture is right. Just keep on praying, and when you’re done, pray some more. 

I find it curious that Jesus used an ungodly, non-believing judge who was unjust in his court as his main character. But the instruction to persist in prayer comes through very clearly. “She keeps bothering me!” the judge complains before he gives up and gives in. 

Looking through different translations for this phrase “bothering me” expands our understanding of what happened. Here are a few other ways this has been written: She troubleth me; she keeps annoying me; she keeps pestering me; she keeps driving me crazy … and the judge was ready to give her justice because she was wearing him down and beating him down with her persistence.

Let’s pause there for a moment and think about a cause you feel deeply about. I think God is telling us to fight injustice and oppression by not backing down and being persistent, loud, and steady, especially when you are up against someone who, like the judge, “neither fears God nor respects people.” So perhaps today’s lesson on persistence goes beyond just prayer.

Our United Methodist baptism liturgy includes a vow to “fight evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever form they present themselves.” This is a heavy charge. So often we want to shy away from the task of standing up for justice and helping people find freedom. But the call is clear, and Jesus’ words about persisting can be applied here, too. Whether it is in the local schools, the county boards, or the national governmental authorities, our duty is to fight evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever form they present themselves when we encounter leaders who neither fear God nor respect people.

When you go to your father in prayer today, don’t give up. We all want our Lord to find us faithful on earth when he returns to reign in justice.

Persist by Kathy Schumacher

Mary Poppins’ Bag

Posted on by Betsy

Do you remember the wonderful scene from the original Mary Poppins movie where she plops her large carpet bag on the table and begins to pull out things like a hat stand, a large wall mirror, a potted plant, shoes, clothing, and a very special measuring tape? I remember as a child being fascinated by her bag. Can you imagine being able to reach in to your carpet bag and get whatever you needed?

Many decades later, Hermione Granger one-upped Mary with a small and elegant beaded bag that had a lot of useful things, including a large multi-level tent and an invisibility cloak. And her bag was small enough that she could hide it in her sock.

This notion of magical bags is something that children innately understand. Think about it; how many times does your child expect you to instantly produce what they want, often making unreasonable and unrealistic requests? And when it’s possible, don’t you make every effort to respond?

In the same way, we can treat God as though he has a magical bag. We operate under an assumption that we can make requests and God will supply them. All of us are guilty of treating God like a big ATM machine in the sky at one time or another. We use him when we need something, but when our pockets are full, we pass on by. Is this a good practice? Do you ever feel guilty about asking God for things beyond your ability to provide for yourself? Check this out:

Luke 11 (NRSV)

5 And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

9 “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Good gifts. We know how to give good gifts to those whom we love. In most people’s minds, this season is all about getting and receiving good gifts. Look at the advertising all around you. Lexuses wrapped in big red bows, overly expensive and lush outfits that dance across your screen, flashing diamond jewelry featured in commercials where the husband/boyfriend gets a big reward of love for choosing the right piece…and in each case, the bigger, the better.

But the question remains, should we/may we/might we treat God like a department store Santa, and go sit on his lap with a big list of “gimmes?”

The answer is yes. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus-like aspect of God. And that’s all right.

You see, God longs to hear the desires of our hearts. God wants the intimacy of a trusting child who goes to a parent in the hope and anticipation of getting a Red Ryder BB Gun. Will he give you things that might harm you? Nope. Will he give you what you need instead? Yup. It is the relationship of love, trust, and honesty that blesses the Lord. When we ask, seek, and knock, we are demonstrating our belief that God is able to respond. That demonstration of faith is vital to us, and to God.

So in this season of preparation, while we anticipate the greatest gift to humankind that the world has ever known, go to God in prayer. Ask away. Watch him reach into his carpet bag and pull out the very thing that you need, even if you didn’t ask for it. God invites us to ask, seek, and knock. It’s pretty much in the bag.

Well, Hello There by Mary Anne Mong Cramer