In 1945, the allies began their long awaited counter attack against Hitler to remove him from western Europe. Troops were amassed, the Americans, increasingly the most powerful military power in the world had joined the war and on D-Day, June 6th, a massive naval and land-amphibious assault was launched,
Apparently the “D” stands for “Day”, it was “The Day”, hence we are in fact referring to “Day-Day.” However, “D-Day” is often used, derivatively to refer to a significant moment a turning point, a decision day when people must chose where they stand. There are parallels with the events leading deciisionup to and including Holy week. There was a sense both that D-Day was coming because “The Day” was coming when God would act in power and because that required a decision from people as they were called to choose sides.
18.1 Read Luke 11:14-28
Jesus casts out a demon which has caused the possessed person to be mute. His opponents accuse him of using Baal Zebub’s authority and power to do the miracle. Baal Zebub or Baal-Zebul was the full title of title of a Canaanite and Philistine god with “Baal”, as we sometimes encounter a Canaanite deity in the Old Testament simply meaning “Lord” or “master”. Baal Zebub was therefore either “Lord of the heavenly dwellings”, Lord of Dung or “Lord of the Flies”. It’s uncertain whether the latter two options reflect a better rendition of the name or whether rather this was a deliberate Israelite corruption of the former. By this time, the name seems to have become closely associated with demons and probably Satan himself as the Prince of Demons (v14-15)[1] Other observers did not go so far as to accuse Jesus but were not satisfied with his miracles and exorcisms so demanded a greater sign (v16).
Jesus addresses those accusing him of using demonic power to cast out demons first. His point is tat kingdoms divided by factions don’t survive long and if someone is using demonic power to attack and control over demons then Satan’s kingdom is embroiled in civil war (v17-18). Satan himself is using another third party to come in and do his dirty work, to deal with internal trouble, this suggests that he is weak and dependent. What is not disputed is that Jesus has the power to cast out demons but why then the presumption that hi sown power is demonic? Is that the only source of power? Other Jews claimed the same ability, so where did they get their power from. Jesus’ opponents must either recognise that an alternative source of authority, God himself, was possible or by implication they were accusing their own allies (v19). Jesus drives the point home because there is a “so what”, if it is God’s power at work, then God’s kingdom is present. This begins to address the demands for sign evidence too. The signs were already there, pointing to something great from God happening (v20).
So, what is happening? Jesus compares the situation to one where a strong man is in apparent control of a heavily armed house. He is safe and secure unless someone stronger turns up. They are then able to subdue the strong man, remove the source of his strength, represented by his armour and to take control. Now, this analogy would have been obvious to normal messianic expectations. The Messiah would have to be stronger than the Romans to overpower, disarm and subdue them. However, Jesus here insists that the strong man who must be defeated is no mere human ruler or empire but Satan himself. The shocking suggestion is that Israel is not merely under a foreign power’s subjugation but under the rule of Satan himself, God’s arch-enemy.
The issue then is not “who is Jesus with?” Whose side is he on, whose power is he using? Jesus is the one with ultimate power, he does not ned to rely on Satan’s power. So, the more pressing question is “are you on Jesus’ side.” There isn’t a third option, if you are not on Jesus’ side, you are with his enemies and they are defeated and scattered (v21-22).
Matthew includes additional material at this point including warning against the unforgivable sin, which Luke will include in the next chapter and also teaching about how the heart’s roots are shown by its fruit. The responses people were making to Jesus exposed their hearts, especially when they were ready to slander something good as being evil.[2]
To demonstrate, the importance of the decision further, Jesus tells a parable about a demon. I don’t think we are necessarily meant to treat this as literal, practical instruction in demonology. If a demon is cast out, it will look for another host to possess, a place to stay. Eventually it might come back to the original possessed person and find them, like an empty house, swept clean and tidied. They will repossess the person and will be joined by their friends. The man is now in a worse position, he was possessed by one demon, now he is under the control of seven. The parable applies first to Israel/Judea. If the king has arrived and defeats God’s enemies but the people do not recognise him as the true king and enthrone him, then they find themselves like the demon possessed man. Of course, that was historically true, Israel had retuned from exile but had been unable to re-establish the Davidic kingdom and so a succession of foreign powers, leading to the might of Rome has come to occupy. It also points to our own spiritual danger if we do not make Jesus our king (v23-26).
At that point Jesus receives some friendly heckling. A woman announces that Jesus’ mum is blessed, or lucky to have him! She obviously approves of Jesus powerful miracles and his rhetoric. Jesus isn’t satisfied with this kind of praise though. In fact, it is not only those who falsely accuse or doubt Jesus who are in danger. Remember, you are either for or against him. So, being amazed and Jesus and even praising him without becoming one of his disciples is not enough. Jesus says that true blessing is reserved for those who listen to him and obey him (v27-28). Matthew seems to see a tie in here with the occasion when Jesus’ mother and brothers came looking for him and so includes that event at a similar point in his Gospel, just after the Beelzebub accusation and Jesus’s comments on “the sign of Jonah.” The point being that Jesus’ concern was for those of faith and so true blessing belonged to those who received his word rather than his flesh and blood relations.[3]
18.4 Read Luke 11:29-32
The crowds continue to increase but it seems that many are curious onlookers joining the second group of sceptics, those demanding further proof and bigger signs. Jesus evaluates this scepticism as evidence of their heart-states. They are “a wicked generation.” The language here echoes the assessment of the Israelites in the wilderness who despite God’s miraculous signs and provision grumbled. He says that no such sign will be forthcoming. The only sign they will receive is “The sign of Jonah.” What was Jonah’s sign to the Ninevites? Well, first and foremost it was the simple sign of him preaching judgement The context does suggest that from Luke’s perspective, the Ninevites responded to simple preaching and this should be enough for Israel (v29-30).[4] However, given that in Matthew’s account (Matthew 12:39-40) Jesus will link his death and resurrection to Jonah’s three nights in the fish’s stomach I think it is reasonable to see this as alluded to, so that the full sign of Jonah doesstart with him preaching judgement but also includes his death and resurrection experience in the fish.[5]
The unbelief of “this wicked generation” is again compared unfavourably with Gentiles from history. The Queen of Sheba came to hear Solomon but the Jews reject Jesus who is greater in wisdom than him. The Ninevites repented in response to simple preaching, yet Jesus comes with signs and wonders and the people are not satisfied, demanding more (v31-32).
18.5 Read Luke 11:23-36
Jesus uses the image of someone lighting up a light again, as previously, the proverbial point is that you don’t light a lamp to hide it away out of sight (v33). It’s important to check the context to see what point the parable is making. This time, the lamp identified is our eyes. Light enters our bodies through our eyes, in other words, we see by the light (v34). Light is needed for health and so, if you live in the darkness, your body will become sick and die. The point then is again about discernment, about seeing clearly with our spiritual eyes. Those who fail to see the truth about Jesus are classified as blind by Jesus (v35-36).
18.6 Read Luke 11:37-52
Jesus is invited to dinner by a Pharisee but the Pharisee is surprised and seemingly judgemental; when Jesus doesn’t participate in ceremonial washing (v37-38). Jesus’ response is that the Pharisees will wash everything, cups, bowls, not out of hygiene concerns but ritualistically to make them ceremonially clean. However, they forget that what really matters is what is going on in the inside, in their hearts and minds. They lack compassion and instead are greedy and selfish (v39-41).
Jesus pronounces a series of woes on the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. They tithe to the enth degree but neglect justice and the love of God. Note, Jesus has no problem with their tithing but says they should have pursued justice as well. They love status and respect. They are like “unmarked graves.” The problem with these was that if you walked over it, you would become ceremonially unclean due to your close contact with a dead body.[6] Similarly, the Pharisees for all their piety drew people into their hypocrisy and hard-heartedness making their hearts unclean (v42-44).
A scribe complains that Jesus is insulting them too, as though that is a surprise! Perhaps the tone is to the effect that maybe Jesus could criticise populist Pharisees but to criticise the experts in the Law was to reject their expertise and therefore to insult the Law itself. We do well not to confuse the infallibility of Scripture with the infallibility of interpretation (v45).
If the man hoped Jesus would either exclude the lawyers or back down, he was mistaken. Jesus now includes the teachers of the Law in his woes. They burden others with rules but don’t help them to obey God’s Word. If the Pharisees were like unmarked tombs, the scribes were all for making and honouring literally tombs with monuments to remember the dead prophets. However, it was their spiritual predecessors who killed the prophets in the first place. The lawyers then as the representatives of Israel’s hypocritical relationship to the Law are condemned. I take the reference to “this generation” to describe Israel as a nation standing in defiance to Yahweh over time rather than the Jews around at Jesus’ time. Note that this does not mean that all Jews or that Jews alone were responsible for Jesus’ death. Rather, there was always a believing generation running through their history as well just as unbelief and opposition stretches to all ethnicities and backgrounds(v47-51).
The final woe is a judgement on their attitude to knowledge. They enjoy study but it is for their own selfish purposes. They love to grow their own intellectual knowledge but fait to clearly communicate God’s Word to others (v52).
Jesus leaves the meal and it seems that as well as facing on going opposition, he is immediately subjected to a barrage of questions, challenges and insults (v53-54).
18.7 Eyesight check
If our eyes are the light to our bodies, then healthy (spiritual) eyesight is crucial. Jesus’ opponents were like the blind of partially sighted, unable to see who Jesus was and God’s true glory for themselves, they became a trap for others who looked to them to lead them closer to God and teach them to be holy. The Scribes and Pharisees could not do this and instead, like the man with seven more demons, they left people worse off after encountering their form of spiritually.
[1] C.f. Morris, Luke, 215.
[2] See Matthew 12:30-37.
[3] Matthew 12::46-50.
[4] See Darrell L Bock, Luke 9:51-24:53 (BECNT. Grand Rapids MI.: Baker Academic, 2009), 1095-1096.
[5] So, I agree with Hendrickson that we must read the two accounts together. William Hendricksen, Luke (Repr. 1997. New Testament Commentary. Edinburgh: The Banner of Trust, 1978), 627.
[6] Bock, Luke 9:51-24:53, 1117.
Faithroots 