“THE STRONGER MAN: FOR YOU”
Saint Luke 11: 14-28
Oculi: 20 March Anno Domini 2022
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and house divided against a house falleth.” The Word of The Lord.
You, sinful man, might take issue with this word. You might try and remember countless examples of clever and strategic evil men, duping their rivals, allies, cohorts, and family members to achieve success and triumph. No. Jesus is truth.
The devil and his minions, are not just sinners—human beings—they are pure evil entities—capable of doing nothing but evil. A sinner, even a Stalin, Mao, or John Wayne Gacey is capable of doing good things; at least good things in the civil realm of the “kingdom of the left.” That kingdom is no real kingdom but simply a construct whereby sinful men try to have some sort of collective governance and order. If Mao tried to eradicate Cholera and Dysentery, that would be a good thing. But it has no bearing on salvation. If John Wayne Gacey donated a $1,000 to cancer patients, that would be a good thing. But it has no bearing on salvation. Evil men can do good things. Satan cannot.
The real kingdom, the only kingdom is The Kingdom of the right—God’s Kingdom of Righteousness. One is either in it by God’s gracious election and Gracious gift of faith—through Grace given Word; or, one is not in it by willful and deliberate rejection and hard-hearted unbelief. If one is not in the true Kingdom of The Truth, then one is in the fake kingdom of the serpent.
To be demon possessed does not necessarily mean one is damned—and that’s because The Word of The Lord is light and life that no darkness and death can withstand.
“[Jesus] was casting out a devil, and it was dumb.”
Satan wanted that poor man to be and remain “dumb,” incapable of speech, prayer, and praise. Satan wants all people, all of you, to suffer, be in pain, weep, rot away, and lose hope. Satan wants you despondent and depressed to the point of despair. If one is a pagan, well and good says the devil. But if Satan can wrest one of God’s Kingdom to his camp, he will never, ever, give that person up. He can’t. He can’t use chess strategy to sacrifice a pawn for a knight.
So, the concept that The Nazarene is casting out demons by the chief demon is wrong, absurd, and blasphemy. Jesus is God. Jesus does only good…even if it hurts. The devil is pure, metaphysical, ontological, total evil. The devil does only evil…even when the victim thinks it doesn’t hurt—is fun—self-fulfilling.
Satan simply cannot divide his kingdom or his house; he cannot let a man with a devil go free. Satan is that “strong man” well armed by lies, murders, and demonic false miracles, that arms his palace and goods with fetters of shame and resignation. But the stronger man is The God/Man Christ Jesus. Jesus strips the flimsy armor of mirages and deceits from off the old dragon, even as He allowed Himself to be stripped of His clothes on Calvary. The God/Man overcomes and overpowers the un-man on The Cross. Jesus permits His own suffering and death for your sins and your devilish behaviors (maybe even your demon possession in times past) so that He might defang the serpent and inflict a mortal death strike of death in the crushing of Beelzebub’s head. The Lucan Greek which gives us our word Beelzebub comes from the Hebrew use of the word Baal Zebub. This literally means the Lord, or “god” of the flies. This false deity, like Satan himself, is only lord over the dead, rotting, and putrefying corpses wherein come the maggots and flies. Jesus is God of living flowers and scented lilies—and all His eternal children. Satan is sadistic jailer and torturer of fly ridden sin-zombies. Baal, Beelzebub, Satan, only kills babies and can do nothing but. Jesus baptizes babies into regenerative and re-birthed life.
You are + baptized. You are in Jesus’ true Kingdom—The Church here (militant and temporary); The Church hereafter (triumphant and eternal). Christ’s kingdom can never be divided; His House can never be rent asunder or fall (like the House of Usher, or the Scriptural house built on sand—home of sand fleas and flies). The Rock of Ages, The Word of The Lord endureth forever.
Jesus had His precious flesh divided and rent asunder for your sinful flesh when He was tortured and treed. Jesus fell when He died and buried so that He might lift you up in His arms like the precious lamb you are in His sight.
You have your sign from heaven, from God. You have the sign of Jonas, the death and resurrection of Christ; you have it in Holy Scripture and in Holy Sacrament.
Most assuredly The Most Blessed Virgin, Saint Mary, had, has, and always will have a blessed womb and blessed paps (breasts) but, even more, blessed are those that hear The Word of God, and keep it; i.e., those brought to faith by The Holy Ghost that they might digest the Scriptures and The Eucharist.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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