Luke 11:24-26 (3)

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-If you would, please turn in your Bibles, back to Luke 11.

And we’ve made our way down to Verse 24, this morning.

And we’ve come to another text...

…that is largely parabolic.

And, like many of Jesus’ parables...

…it communicates a rather serious warning.

-It’s one that Matthew and Luke both record it.

Luke appears to place it where he does...

…in order to make the warning personal/individual...

Matthew’s placement seems to have...

...his Jewish audience in mind...

…and be intended to apply the same warning to them...

…on a corporate level.

(Lord Willing, we’re going to interact with both)

-Also, in this passage, we have...

…some interesting insights...

...into the unseen world of spirits...

As well as a little bit of eschatology.

So it should be, both...

Foreboding

Fun

-Alright, let’s read it together...

…and ask for the Lord’s help:

Luke 11:24–26 (ESV)

24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’

25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order.

26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

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-Luke had ended the previous section...

…by telling us of an ultimatum that Jesus had given, in Verse 23:

He (Jesus) had concluded that section, by saying...

Luke 11:23 (ESV)

23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

In other words...

…when it comes to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom...

Neutrality is not permitted!

Every sentient being that ever has/will exist...

…is on one side or the other.

And, today’s text is going to, both...

Illustrate...

Enforce...

…the reality of that truth!

-Look at Verse 24...

And remember that, in the previous section, Jesus had...

Cast a demon out of a man

Delivered the man from its control.

Verse 24:

Luke 11:24 (ESV)

24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest...

So, see the picture that’s being painted, here:

(It’s only partially parabolic)

The unclean spirit (demon)...

Has either...

Been driven out...

Or...

Has left of his own accord (we’re not explicitly told)...

…and is now disembodied...

…and roaming around trying to find a new home (a place of “rest”).

-From what I can gather...

…this was demonology 101 for 1st Century Judaism.

It was assumed, that...

Disembodied spirits were constantly looking for a host.

They were restless until they found one.

-And some think, that...

…the reference to “waterless” or “arid” (i.e., desert) places...

…is indicative of the fact, that...

…the Jews considered deserted, uninhabited cities and lands...

…to be the dwelling place...

…of those disembodied evil spirits.

You can see something of that idea in Revelation 18...

…in the description of the Judgment on Babylon:

Revelation 18:2 (ESV)

2 And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.

Also, We saw a similar idea...

...being illustrated back in Chapter 8?

After Jesus had commanded that LEGION of demons...

…to depart from those men...

Luke 8:31 (ESV)

31 ...they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.

Or, as the CSB translated it:

Luke 8:31 (CSB)

31 And they begged him not to banish them to the abyss.

And remember that the root of that word, means...

“deep water”

And so, they ask to be allowed...

…to move into, and inhabit...

…a heard of pigs...

And Jesus actually grants them their petition...

But then...

Luke 8:33 (ESV)

33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

…perishing in the a watery abyss...

…that foreshadowed their final destruction.

Do you remember that?

Our text seems to be assuming similar ideas.

-Either way, the demon in our text...

...is now homeless...

…and is desperately seeking...

…a safe place to live...

…but is unable to find one.

Jesus says...

Luke 11:24 (ESV)

24 ...it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’

-Now, what is he referring to...

…when he says “my house?”

The Man!

The Man he once possessed

The Man he once tormented and subdued

The man whose life he had once wrecked.

The Man he had left disheveled and in disrepair.

That’s what this house represents.

So, it ought to surprise us...

…what we read in Verse 25:

Luke 11:25 (ESV)

25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order.

The house in which the demon had formerly wreaked havoc...

The house in which he had been such a destructive tenant...

...Was now pristine and beautiful!

The trash was hauled off

The surfaces had been scrubbed down

The carpet had been replaced

The holes in the drywall had been patched

It had a fresh coat of paint on the walls

Might have even had the Essential Oils diffuser going.

It was as though the demon...

...had never even rented the place.

And it was more accommodating now...

…than when he had moved in the first time!

-What’s the metaphor, here?

The man had been delivered from demonic oppression.

In the case of the previous event...

He could now see and speak!

His life can now be put back together.

And, it would appear from the nature of the metaphor itself...

That the man had made great progress...

…in implementing moral and religious reforms...

…that appeared to have successfully...

Cleaned up his life

Turned him into a better man.

-That all sounds good, right?

Well, there’s one small problem...

(And it’s actually not small at all)

(It’s a cosmic and cataclysmic problem)

Matthew’s account spells it out for us.

Notice what detail is included there:

Matthew 12:44 (ESV)

44...when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.

You see, that’s the problem!

The problem ISN’T:

That the house is clean and remodeled

(i.e., that the man is living a better life)

The problem is...

…that the house is vacant!

It’s empty

It has no tenant

It’s all clean and furnished...

It is well suited and ready for occupancy...

But no one is there!

-Again, what’s the metaphor?

I think it’s obvious:

The man has cleaned up his life… but nothing beyond that!

He hasn’t been indwelt with the Holy Spirit

And because of that...

...he has created is a spiritual vacuum in his soul.

And vacuums tend to suck in undesirable objects.

-Look at Verse 26:

Luke 11:26 (ESV)

26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there...

The CSB says:

Luke 11:26 (CSB)

26 ...they enter and settle down there...

So, for whatever undisclosed reason...

…the demon hadn’t been able to...

...keep the rent payed by himself.

He was evicted!

But, now he brings seven of his friends with him...

(remember that the number seven...

…is often used to represent completeness or totality)

…and with the help of his friends...

…he (and they) are able to finally find a permanent home.

-Again, what’s the metaphor?

The man who had been delivered from the demon, had...

Made moral reforms

Cleaned up his life

(Stopped cussing)

(Stopped doing drugs)

(Finished his education)

(Started volunteering)

(etc.)...

…but, he had not...

…sought out a new tenant for his heart...

…and so he has now been taken over...

…by a force that is...

…exponentially stronger than the one that controlled him before!

Let’s state it plainly:

The man had cleaned up his life...

…but had attempted to remain spiritually neutral.

What did Jesus say about that up in Verse 23?

Luke 11:23 (ESV)

23 Whoever is not with me is against me...

To not choose… is to choose.

To try to avoid any third party allegiance...

…and just be “a good person” …

…is, in the end...

…very much choosing a side!

The wrong side

The loosing side.

Luke 11:23 (ESV)

23 ...and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Or, as He warns at the end of Verse 26:

Luke 11:26 (ESV)

26 ...And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

Mike McKinley says this:

The point is that there is no such thing as a spiritual vacuum. If you do nothing, you will be under the influence of the devil.

There are no spiritual orphans: either God is your Father or Satan is your master. And so there can be no neutrality or split loyalties in the conflict between Jesus and the devil.

Have you thrown your lot in with Christ? If not, do not imagine that you are somehow Switzerland in this cosmic war. — McKinley

-Now, Philip Ryken dispenses with the metaphors entirely...

…and tells us plainly...

…what the personal and individual application is:

What we need is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus has promised that the Father will give to anyone who asks (see Luke 11:13).

We need to pray for the Stronger One to give us the supernatural, transforming grace of the Holy Spirit,

who alone can replace our lust with purity, our worry with trust, our greed with contentment, our anger with patience, our profanity with peace, and our addictions with selfless zeal for the glory of God. — Ryken

Brethren, moralism will not save you in the end.

It leaves you open to...

Deeper

Darker

More Devastating Sins!

Remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:15 (ESV)

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

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Moral reformation is not our greatest need...

Regeneration is our greatest need.

And, regeneration will cause us to...

Repent of our self-righteousness

Put our confidence fully in Christ

Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And then our house will be occupied FOREVER!

No one is going to force...

…Almighty God out of your heart.

Once he is your tenant...

…your soul is secure.

That’s the point of the parable.

That’s the application for our lives (at least on a personal level)!

-Now, similar to what we saw last week...

Here too, we appear to have...

One essential truth

Serving as the basis for two distinct applications

-Luke SEEMS to have intended a more individual application.

-But, Matthew, almost without question...

…applied the same truth corporately.

Turn over to Matthew 12:45.

And scan over a few verses with me...

…so that we can see the broader context.

Verse 30 contains the same ultimatum...

…that we see in Verse 23 of our text.

Verses 31-32 contain the warnings...

…that we ended with last week.

Verse 38 appears to begin the immediate context for Matthew:

It’s worth reading:

Matthew 12:38–39 (ESV)

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign...

And he went on to say:

Matthew 12:41–42 (ESV)

41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

And, it’s on the heels of these indictments...

…that Matthew places the parable...

…that we’ve been looking at today.

Let’s read it again:

Matthew 12:43–44 (ESV)

43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.

44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.

-Now, watch what he includes on the last Verse:

Matthew 12:45 (ESV)

45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

So, Jesus is taking that warning...

…that in its most basic sense...

…is referring to the dangers of...

...individual indecision, and lack of commitment...

…and he’s applying it to Israel collectively.

-And let me acknowledge up front, that...

…there is much debate (here and elsewhere)...

…about what is meant by “this generation.”

i.e., is it referring to...

People within a certain age range

People of a certain ethnicity

People with certain shared distinctives or behaviors

People that exist in a certain epoch of time

(could be a month or 1,000 years)

We’ll have to deal with that issue later.

I don’t think it’s necessary now.

Why?

Because the point will be the same either way.

It’s still a collective, redemptive-historical indictment.

Consider these commentaries:

In using this illustration Jesus clearly indicated that though the Jews had been cleansed from their idolatry by the severity of the Babylonian exile,

their unbelief and hardness of heart was in danger of producing an even worse moral condition than when they were idolaters.

The moral reformation that had taken place after the captivity should have prepared Israel for the ministries of John and Jesus. Unfortunately, in most cases it fell short in that Israel’s spiritual house was empty — KJV Bible Commentary

Peter Bolt takes it a little further:

Israel’s sin had brought the darkness in, where it should not have been. But Jesus had been pushing the spirits out of Israel.

This generation had seen ‘cleansing’ of the land through his ministry. It was as if they now had a house nicely swept.

But if they did not respond to him, then their last state would be worse than the first.

If they rejected the Messiah, then their uncleanness and ‘spirit possession’ would be worse than it had ever been. — Peter G. Bolt

Remember Jesus’ other similar warnings:

Luke 19:41–44 (ESV)

41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,

42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side

44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Matthew 23:37–39 (ESV)

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

38 See, your house is left to you desolate.

And he gives the only condition for his return:

39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

-Later, Peter would implore the Jews at Pentecost...

…to do just that:

Acts 2:40 (ESV)

40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

How?

Acts 2:38 (ESV)

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins...

And then, watch this.

Watch how it all ties together

...and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

No more Ichabod

No more possession

But, only because the Spirit of Christ...

…has become their tenant!

And that’s true...

For the Jew

As well as the Gentile:

The reality is this:

Romans 8:8–11 (ESV)

8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

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-That’s how that chain is broken...

With...

Repentance towards God

Faith in Jesus Christ

-Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to produce BOTH within us this morning.

Pray