Luke 11:14-23

I love arguments. Not necessarily in the sense of fighting, although that does happen, but in the sense of intellectual discourse. Some of you readers may know that I am currently studying philosophy in my undergraduate training, and Christianity appealed to me even in my periods of agnosticism because of its logical integrity as a worldview. Today, we are going to study a passage that paints Jesus as the philosopher, a lover of knowledge who seeks to enlighten those around Him. Open your Bibles to Luke 11:14-23 and your copy of Take Every Passage to Prayer Vol. 2, The Gospels by Charles Wagner to pages 214-218.

Last week we discussed the Lord’s Prayer formula that Jesus gives us in verses 1-13, which establishes some key Christian doctrine. Our fundamental beliefs as Christ followers are centered around recognizing God as Father, Jesus as Savior, and Holy Spirit as Advocate. Reading verses 1-13 in context with the rest of the chapter shows that Jesus is defining His terms before making his argument in verses 14-23. God has authority over creation through His identity as Father, Jesus’ love and mercy cleanses us of our sins through his identity as Savior, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to approach the throne with boldness.

Moving into today’s text, Jesus is seen casting out a demon, which Matthew’s account informs us was afflicting the possessed person with blindness and muteness. The townspeople gather around, testing Jesus by asking Him to perform divine signs (Remember John 4:46-54?!). Eventually, this testing turns into rumors that Jesus is receiving his divine power from Beelzebub. If that name is foreign to you, it is one of the few named demons in the Bible, typically associated with the Canaanite idol Baal. In the New Testament context, it is a name for Satan used by Jews. The townspeople are essentially accusing Jesus of working for Satan. This is not a shy claim, and Jesus needs to address it.

In response to this growing crowd, Jesus decides to respond using reason, using the style of Grecian philosophy. Jesus’ crowd would have been very familiar with this style, as icons like Socrates and Plato lived before Jesus’ time. For a deeper dive into Jesus’ arguments in this passage, Wagner lists 5 specific lines of reasoning that Jesus follows starting on page 215.

Jesus read their minds and humiliated them with pure logic and reason.

Logical argument #1

1. A kingdom, a city, or even a family at war with itself will come to destruction.
2. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that no one who oversees a kingdom, a city, or a family would deliberately weaken their community by initiating a civil war.
3. I’m going around telling people to flee from Satan and to surrender their lives to his enemy, the Maker of heaven and earth, our Father in heaven.
4. Why would Satan send me on a mission to weaken his own grip on society? That makes no sense.
5. Therefore, we can conclude that I am not of Beelzebub.

Logical argument #2

1. You also drive out demons.
2. Should we accuse you of driving out demons in the name of Beelzebub? No?
3. By whose name are you driving out demons? The Spirit of God?
4. Oh, so you admit the Holy Spirit has come, which is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Joel 2, Isaiah 44, Ezekiel 36, Zechariah 12) about the coming of the Kingdom of God.
5. Therefore, you are acknowledging the Kingdom of God has come, which is in alignment with what I preach.
6. If I am preaching what you believe, why are you persecuting Me?

Logical argument #3

1. If I am preaching a message that is contrary to the interests of Satan, why isn’t he stopping me? If he is superior to Me, if I am working for him, why hasn’t he stopped Me from preaching against him? If he is stronger than Me, he can tie Me up just like a strong homeowner can do when invaded by a weaker burglar.
2. Therefore, we can conclude that Satan is not stopping me because I am stronger than him.
3. Who is stronger than Satan other than God?
4. Therefore, if I am preaching against the interests of Satan, and he isn’t stopping me, it must be because I am the Son of God.

Logical argument #4

1. Why is it so easy for Me to exorcise demons out of people?
2. Who else do you know who hardly has to lift His finger to exorcise demons out of people? God?
3. Well, if I am easily exorcising demons out of people, I must be receiving help from God.
4. If I am receiving help from God to drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
5. Therefore, I am of God and not of Beelzebub.

Logical argument #5

1. The one who gathers souls for the Kingdom of God is the one who represents God.
2. I am gathering souls for the Kingdom of God.
3. Satan is not gathering souls for the Kingdom of God. He scatters souls.
4. Therefore, I am of the Kingdom of God and not of Beelzebub.

However, I would just like to highlight that Jesus responded to the questioning crowd with direct logic and reason. He was not angry, or spiteful, rather he was educating the people. I think an important principle of faith is being displayed here alongside the obvious story of casting out demons. We should approach our accusers with a common understanding of logic and reason, as well as approach our faith with logic and reason. Jesus wants us to use our hearts AND our heads.

Jesus argues that a divided kingdom cannot stand. On one hand, this refers to the accusation that the townspeople make. If Jesus was working for Satan, it is absurd to believe that He would openly work against His master, dividing Satan’s kingdom. It is much more plausible that Jesus’ actions imply that he is working against Satan. On the other hand, Jesus is directing our focus towards the spiritual. This discussion about the authority of Jesus and Satan invites the listener to make a choice: which kingdom are you submitting to? Jesus concludes this section with a phrase you may be familiar with: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Luke 11:23 ESV). Referencing back to the key definitions Jesus gave us in verses 1-13, God’s authority as Father requires us to either submit to Him, or work against Him. Let’s pray over this upcoming week and ask the Lord to unify His kingdom.

Father, 

Thank you for this day that you have made, and the people you have put in it. We come before you to plead for unity among your kingdom on earth. Just like we prayed in the Lord’s Prayer, let your will be done on earth, and embolden us to advance your kingdom. Lord, we submit to only your kingdom, and we are with you, not against you. Protect us in the coming days, especially those that live in areas affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Amen