Be sure you’re only falsely accused of walking in darkness

Sermon for Oculi – Lent 3

Ephesians 5:1-9  +  Luke 11:14-28

No one likes to be falsely accused of things. It always stings, because you know the accusation isn’t true. The accuser is lying about you, whether knowingly or unknowingly. But, of all the false accusations that have ever been made in the world, can any be more obviously false than the accusation that Jesus was working together with the demons? I mean, really. His entire life, Jesus had walked in the light, had walked as a child of God, doing only good things, decent things, showing compassion, walking according to God’s commandments at all times, being kind to people. Every word He preached was in perfect harmony with the Old Testament Scriptures. He even drove out foul demons from people. And they still accused Him of working with the demons.

But who are the ones who are truly in league with the demons? Well, they’re the ones who aren’t in league with Jesus, who are impenitent and unbelieving. They’re the ones who walk as the demons walk, who distort the Holy Scriptures, who behave as the demons behave, as children of darkness rather than as children of light. So let’s dig into today’s Gospel a little bit and heed the Holy Spirit’s warning: Be sure you’re only falsely accused of walking in darkness!

Jesus was casting out a demon as our Gospel begins. It wasn’t the first. He had been amazing people for a long time already with His healing miracles, including the casting out of demons. What’s more, He had shown Israel what kind of a Man He was. Kind and good, merciful and gentle, although still a forceful preacher of both the Law and the Gospel. It was that preaching that turned so many in Israel against Him. He told them their works weren’t good enough. He told them their physical ties to Abraham weren’t good enough. He exposed the darkness of their actions and of their hearts. And He called them to repentance, telling them about the goodness of God, who didn’t want to punish them for their sins, but who would forgive them freely through faith in Christ Jesus—and only through faith in Christ.

For that, some accused Him of working with the devil. He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Others demanded a sign from heaven, as if casting out demons wasn’t sign enough.

But Jesus very patiently points out the flaws in their accusation. If Jesus is driving out a devil by the power of the Devil, then the devil’s kingdom is divided. But a divided kingdom cannot stand. And Satan’s kingdom must stand, according to Scripture, until the Seed of the woman crushes the serpent’s head. Then and only then and only in that way can Satan’s kingdom fall. So Jesus cannot be fighting against the devil by the power of the devil. His power must come from somewhere else, and there’s only one other place it can come from. From the Finger of God, that is, from the Holy Spirit of God. In fact, Jesus’ power over the demons was just more proof that He was the promised Seed of the woman, anointed with the Holy Spirit, who would crush the serpent’s head.

That should be obvious. After all, as Jesus points out, if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, well-armed, guards his palace, his possessions are secure. But when a man who is stronger than he comes against him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted and divides the spoils. Jesus was practically shouting the message that He was the promised Christ who would overpower the devil and save fallen mankind from him, and from death, and from the condemnation we deserve for our sins. Jesus’ casting out of demons by His own authority was a powerful proof of that.

But again, so was His perfect preaching, in perfect line with the Law and the Prophets, and so was His perfect life of love.

All of those things combined cried out to the people of Israel, “This is your God walking among! This is your Savior standing in your midst!” And that means, you can’t remain neutral. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Either you listen to your God, or you oppose Him. Either you repent and believe in Christ, or you remain God’s enemy. Either you follow Him and learn to imitate Him and walk with Him in the light, or you remain a child of the devil, and you walk with him in the darkness.

Jesus then issues a somber warning for those who would remain neutral, or who would continue to walk in darkness. Whenever an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house out of which I came.’ And when he arrives, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they go in and dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. In other words, yes, Jesus drives out demons. But that’s just the beginning. If He drives out a demon and the person remains neutral, if He drives out a demon and a person’s heart isn’t filled with the Holy Spirit and His Word, if He drives out a demon and the person still continues to live as if he were in league with the demons, then that person will end up worse than he was before.

A woman in the crowd that day thought she would praise Jesus by praising His mother. She cried out, Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed! But Jesus corrected her. Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.

You see, praising Jesus with the lips only is, in the end, just as useless as falsely accusing Jesus. Yes, those who lump Him in with the demons will perish. Those who openly reject Him will perish, if they do not repent. But so will those who praise Him with their lips, but who continue to walk as the demons walk, as children of darkness.

If you walk, impenitently, as a child of darkness, if you behave as one in league with the demons, breaking God’s commandments and refusing to repent, then the charge of working with the demons isn’t really false, is it? But if you walk as a child of the light, in daily contrition and repentance, seeking to avoid all sexual immorality and all uncleanness or greed, as Paul wrote in today’s Epistle, seeking to avoid all filthiness, and foolish talking, and coarse joking, if you a live life of open thanksgiving to God in Christ, then, when people still accuse you of working with the devil, or of being a mean and hateful person, then you can rejoice, because they’re lying about you, and in so doing, they’re treating you just like they treated Jesus, because you’re walking as Jesus did.

So what’s the lesson for today? Those who want to make Jesus the bad guy are both wrong and foolish, because not only is He not the bad guy. He’s the only One who can save anyone from sin, death, and the devil. You know that already. You’ve been baptized in His name. You’re here to worship Him this morning. And if you believe in Him, then the Lord calls on you also to imitate Him, as dearly loved children, to not only hear the word of God, but to keep the word of God, and to walk as Jesus did, at all times, both outwardly and inwardly. When you fail, don’t ignore it. Repent of it. When you struggle, pray. When you need strength to walk with Jesus, here is His word! Here is His Sacrament, where He offers both forgiveness and strength. Make use of them. And then recommit yourself today to go out from here as a child of the light, that all may see your light and know who Christ is by watching you who bear His name as Christians. You may still be falsely accused by the world of being mean, and hateful, and foolish. But if you are, you’re in the best of company. Walk with Jesus in the light, as is fitting for baptized saints, and you will overcome, not only the world, not only the devil, but even death itself, through Christ our Lord. Amen.