Lent - Week 3- Wednesday

0:00Welcome to Luther for the Busy Man, the week of Oculi Wednesday, our scripture reading comes from the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verses 1 through 5. And so it was with me, brothers and sisters, when I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with the demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power. Our scripture lesson comes from the book of Luke chapter 11 verses 19 and 20. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? Well then they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

1:02When Jesus tells the Jews who question his authority to cast out demons and ascribe it to the devil, that their sons will be their judges, he means to say that he is appealing to these sons. These sons will be forced to pronounce the judgment that they are slandering him unjustly and condemning themselves in doing so. If one devil does not drive out another devil, there must be another power operative here which is neither devilish nor human, namely divine power. Jesus continues, but if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. This finger of God Matthew clearly designates as the Spirit of God. For in describing the same event, he reports Jesus is saying, if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons in Matthew 1228. In short, Christ here wants to say, if the kingdom of God is to come to you, the devil must be driven out for his kingdom is opposed to God's kingdom as you yourselves must confess.

2:05But the devil is not driven out by a devil, much less by men or through the power of men. He is driven out only through the Spirit and the power of God. Let us pray. According to your Word and promises, O Lord, let your kingdom of grace come to us and be established in our midst through the active working of your Holy Spirit in the means of grace for the Savior's sake. Amen. Find the print version of the Luther for the Busyman Daily Devotional at ambassadorpublications.org. Luther for the Busyman is produced by the free Lutheran Bible College and seminary in Plymouth, Minnesota. Visit flbc.edu to learn how you can start here. Go anywhere, grounded in God's Word.