Luke 11:15–26
Some of the crowd said of Jesus, “He
casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” Others, to test him,
kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. But he knew what they were thinking
and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and
house falls on house. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his
kingdom stand?—for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. Now if I
cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out?
Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I
cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong
man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. But when one
stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armour in
which he trusted and divides his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters. When the
unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions
looking for a resting-place, but not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my
house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.
Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they
enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the
first.”
Reflection
• What are my demons? Can
I name even one of them?
• When I feel driven to
work too hard, or to spend too much money on myself, am I in danger of being
possessed by either urge?