Luke 11:14-23--Jesus and Beelzebul

Luke 11:14-23
English Standard Version
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Jesus and Beelzebul
14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

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We see here somewhat of a turning point in Jesus' ministry.  The crowds in the past have been skeptical and the religious leaders have been mostly the ones who were antagonistic, but we will see here that the crowds seem to have mostly gone along with the religious leaders and are following their lead.  We'll see this play out more dramatically at the trial of Jesus before Pilate, but for now the religious leaders have the people convinced that Jesus does not work miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit, but by the power of Satan (Beelzebul is one of Satan's nicknames in this culture and means "Lord of the Flies," but is translated here as "the prince of demons.").

Others chose not to join in this kind of slander and name-calling, but instead chose to keep asking for more and more signs acting as if their unbelief was because God did not provide enough evidence or the right evidence (we see this today from many of the modern-day Atheists and Agnostics that say they would believe if only God would prove Himself to them by their standards).  The passage makes clear that their intent was not to believe, but to test Him.

Jesus knows the thoughts and intentions of both groups and deals with them both at once when He talks about a kingdom divided against itself will be laid to waste.  That is, it doesn't make any sense for Satan to be casting out demons and setting people free from demonic influence.  That's nonsense if you think about it because that's a kingdom at civil war with itself.  Why would the leader of that kingdom be engaged in such behavior that would weaken his kingdom?

Then Jesus turned the question around on them and asked by what authority their sons cast out demons?  If it was possible to cast out demons by the power of Satan would it not be possible that their exorcists were casting demons out by that power as well?  Had these people just condemned their own children for being aligned with the powers of darkness?  Jesus said that the children of this generation that would say something so ridiculous because they did not want to believe would rise up in judgment against their mothers and fathers (maybe speaking of the here and now, or maybe saying the children would testify against their parents in the final judgment).

Jesus then asks the people to consider what the implications are if they are wrong.  What if He casts out demons not by the power of the devil, but by the finger of God (I like how Jesus indicates that it need not be even the "hand" or the "arm" or the LORD, but just one finger is enough to deal with Satan).  What if the kingdom of God really has come upon them, that is, what if Jesus is the Son of God and they are saying these things to God in the Flesh?

Jesus then offers them some evidence.  He says that if a strong man, fully armed and with armed guards guards his own palace, his goods are secure (yet he must do nothing else other than worry about the security of his palace and his possessions), but if one who is stronger than that strong man attacks, he takes everything that belongs to the strong man including the armor that made the strong man appear to be invulnerable and divides the strong man's riches among his army.  So what is Jesus talking about here?  Satan looks strong...maybe even strong enough that people presume that there is no one that can defeat him, but the Son of God who created all things by speaking them into existence out of nothing is stronger than the creature Satan.  One day, Jesus is going to defeat Satan and show that he was never really strong at all when compared to the LORD and Jesus will take away the world from Satan and divide it among those who are citizens of the kingdom of heaven when we will rule with Jesus during His millennial reign.

Jesus then offers a challenge to all those who were there.  You are only going to be on the side of one of these "strong men."  Choose whose side you are going to be on, for all those who are not with the Son are against Him and those who are against Him will be totally and utterly defeated.  Who is on the LORD's side?  We are either about the business of gathering in the harvest that belongs to the Lord of the Harvest or we are working against the gathering in of the harvest and trying to scatter it.  There is no third option.  It is time to choose sides.  Whose side are you on?  Make sure you choose wisely because one day the one you are trust in (if you are trusting in the powers of this world and the one who is the prince and the power of the air) for protection may be exposed as the emperor who has no clothes.