Misunderstood

Luke 11:14-23

To be misunderstood when your actions and your intentions are only for the best of someone is always painful.  My earliest memory of such a happening was at about three years old, my mother loved roses and yet the few bushes we had never produced roses that looked good, but the neighbor lady had the most beautiful roses, in all colors.  It was a special day, not sure what it was, but I wanted my mother to have a rose, a beautiful yellow rose, so I borrowed one of the neighbor’s roses and hand delivered it to my mother.  My action of love was not received well, she told me I had stolen from the lady next door and that I must return the rose an ask for forgiveness.  The lady next door called me a little thief, and told me to never come into her yard again.  Now my heart was good, but my actions were wrong for I had no intention of the neighbor finding out she had been the provider of my gift.

So as you look at Jesus healing a man who has the demon that was mute living in him, and to be totally misunderstood by the crowd, who marveled when the mute man spoke, but then some said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons.”  We often forget or refuse to understand Jesus was fully man and completely God, but sought His power from the Father and let the Holy Spirit do it all for and through Him.  So stop for one minute and let the hurt of our Savior as a man fill your thoughts. 

But God did for Jesus something that has never happened in anyone I’ve ever met, Jesus knew their thoughts, and yet it was not an in your face thing coming from the crowd, many wanted to test him, and kept seeking a sign from heaven.  That is not that uncommon, many of us do the same thing, we want Jesus to perform so we can get a need met, many times it is a weak faith act on our part.

So knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”  (Luke 11:17-20 ESV)  We are required to examine ourselves and as you do is it not a good question to ask; is my kingdom divided, and another is, has the kingdom of God come upon me?

Shall we listen more to Jesus for He is not through with this thought; “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.  (Luke 11:21-23 ESV)  More questions flood my mind, am I trusting in my own armament; like wealth, job, country, military, location, resources, or even my family to keep one stronger from attacking me?  If so, I’m on very unstable ground, Jesus is the answer, and it is all spelled out in John 10:10, He gives life to the full, Jesus is the giver of life.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice