The Gospels
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 Opinion, Expectation, Purpose, Division
Again, Jesus is accused of casting out demons by demons, rather than by His Godly authority.
-- Click To Expand/Collapse Bible Verses -- Luke ch11:v14-28
Luk 11:14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.
Luk 11:15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
Luk 11:16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.
Luk 11:17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.
Luk 11:18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.
Luk 11:19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
Luk 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
Luk 11:21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
Luk 11:22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
Luk 11:23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
Luk 11:24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
Luk 11:25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
Luk 11:26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
Luk 11:27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
Luk 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
(KJV)
Most of this I covered before, but just to point out the last verse of Jesus' reasoning with them (v26) stops at plainly showing that the man is healed, therefore He does not
cast out by Beelzebub. There is not the added statement that The work of God being fully apparent as such would be as the work of demons to Jesus' accusers.
There is the correction to the woman that she has misunderstood. Jesus by v19 has made the statement that it is His own authority by which he casts out devils. The woman is under the impression that He should (and does) work to honour his family, but Jesus replies that His words, the words of God should be paid very close attention to.
The people around Jesus started to ask for a sign that he was the Christ, but Jesus told them of His resurrection
beforehand, because they had not believed upon him because the dumb man spoke. The mightiest of all His works - His own resurrection were it not believed upon, neither would anything else then suffice.
Though Jesus would not give the people a sign to answer their doubt, he was more
inclined to talk about the future with his disciples. Particularly he instructed them about the work he would leave them and future Christians to do until his final return. The expectation of the crowd is in stark contrast with the instruction Jesus taught the twelve concerning those things as
Christians that they should expect, and patiently wait for.
For your reference;
-- Click To Expand/Collapse Bible Verses -- Luke ch12:v35-59
Luk 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
Luk 12:36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
Luk 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
Luk 12:38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
Luk 12:39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Luk 12:40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Luk 12:41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
Luk 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Luk 12:43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Luk 12:44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
Luk 12:45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
Luk 12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luk 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Luk 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
Luk 12:50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
Luk 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
Luk 12:52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
Luk 12:53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Luk 12:54 And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.
Luk 12:55 And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.
Luk 12:56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
Luk 12:57 Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
Luk 12:58 When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.
Luk 12:59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.
(KJV)
Jesus exhorted his disciples to be vigilant, and to work to please Him with serving each other as if they knew he would return that same day. To keep their candles from under
bushels, to watch and to not feint, to keep and to keep kept. Those disciples that fall out of favour with God by mistreating their Christian brethren: that is, to be in a trusted position by others and teach lies or cheat or abuse his
privilege, and those that do not feed, do not clothe and do not watch because they do not know how, will be judged everyone according to their works. (v46-48) There is nothing worse than a liar in this case.
Verse 49 seems almost out of place! The fire Jesus speaks of is the work of the gospel that
Christ passes on to His servants, until they have been consumed (as by fire) and can do no more. The fire is also a very sound
description of that division that can divide families. It takes precedence OVER familial bonds; a person's ultimate family is found in God, not by flesh. This fire of Christ, with regard to the family of God will come after Jesus' resurrection (v50), but the kindling... the spark that a fire is lit with, is already made. The disciples had left their families to follow Jesus, and the people were already divided over it.
The fire kindled is that we love each other as Christ loved us, Christian or not. Though to be fair warned, our brethren are Christians. No other religion or belief or faith can bring a man into favour with God. Though we love our families and our unbelieving siblings, friends and colleagues - We are a people
separated to our God. This is the division Jesus speaks of. It was not meant to be violent. As Jesus would say upon intent of violence, "Ye know not what spirit ye are of".
The fire already kindled is the truth of God's word that divides the saved from those to be burned in the lake of fire - the result is violence as the two collide - Yet Jesus teaches to be vigilant, but not provocative in such situations. The love then (that burns) is the love of the truth in our ministering to each other, and it divides us with flames that can not be crossed over to the ungodly.
Jesus finishes this passage by telling the crowd they can tell what is around the corner in everything except when it really matters. (Israel throughout the OT, particularly before the captivity were expert at this selective foresight.) - If the people even in civil matters can not realise when they have wronged another, How are they ever going to be able to understand they have wronged and sinned against their God? Some just will not accept Jesus Christ. At the judgement I hope they understand someone can only bash their head against a brick wall for so long.
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