Whoever Does Not Gather with Me Scatters (Luke 11:14-28)

What does block the flow of the grace of God? Is it not the resistance of it? The enemy of humanity is not people like you and me but the mastermind of lie and illusion and the murderer from the beginning who is the devil Satan. The devil is vigilant and watchful to find any open opportunity to attack the victims. Here in Luke Chapter 11 there are some who deliberately refuse the work of Jesus and decorated with the work of the devil. 

In giving the answer to the hungering plea, Jesus teaches us to pray to the Father, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This prayer has yet unfulfilled but will be soon when our Lord Jesus comes again in glory and splendor. In order for the kingdom of God to come, the deceiver must be removed out of the face of the earth. The deceiver is the devil, the father of lie and murderer from the beginning. Having related to the prayer for the kingdom, Jesus teaches us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” So, the kingdom shall come when the evil one is removed.

That’s the reason our Lord Jesus frequently demonstrated the driving out the demons during the earthly ministry in order to restore the kingdom in the hearts of the fallen race.

 “Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, ‘By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.’ Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.” (Luke 11:14-16)

Jesus drove out a demon out of the man who had been mute and he began to speak. The crowd was amazed at this, but some of them viciously denied the work of the Father through Jesus Christ and said that He drove out demons by Beelzbul, the prince of demons. Still others tested Him by asking for a sign from heaven. This is one example to block the stream of the grace and mercy of God. Jesus answers them what really happened, the truth of the invisible realm.

“Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: ‘Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So 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.’” (Luke 11:17-20)

It is plainly true that any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, so the craftiest devil will not divide against itself. No, Jesus drove out demons by the finger of God. It reminds of God who questions Job regarding how He handles the two monstrously powerful animals, Behemoth and Leviathan which are the symbols of the devil. “Can anyone capture it by the eyes, or trap it and pierce its nose? Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook or tie down its tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through its nose or pierce its jaw with a hook?” (Job 40:24-41:2)

To those who accept that Jesus drives out demons by the hand of God the kingdom of God has come upon them. Jesus came into the world to release those who had been in the bondage and slavery of the devil. He paid off the price for the sin of the world through the death of the cross, shedding His own blood. Anyone who believes in Him will experience the coming of the kingdom of God vividly and dramatically.  

“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.” (Luke 11:21-22)

Here, a strong man indicates the devil and his possessions are the people in Adam, not yet in Christ. All mankind is born under the condition of the bondage with iron shackles. No education helps at all to escape from the enslavement of the evil one. Material abundance, technological and scientific advancement, lofty artistic achievements, ingenious psychology and psychiatry, drugs and medical advancements, sports and entertainments do not help at all to be released from the heavy burden of guilt and shame and despair.

Centuries after centuries, human beings have been boasting of those things, claiming that they can solve the human problems. But they have not been successful very much, completely and miserably getting the failing grade all the time. It has already proved more than enough that humans are absolutely powerless and incapable of being freed from the Satan’s trap and dungeon. The devil’s dungeon is impenetrable and impermeable to the fallen race. (Read Job 40:15-41:34)

That’s why God promised to send the Son Jesus Christ who is stronger than the devil. Our Lord Jesus Christ overpowers the evil one, takes away the armor he trusted and divides up His plunder. Having been released from the cruelty and brutality of the devil through the faith in Christ Jesus, we have now been safely secured in the sheep pen of the great Shepherd as His eternal plunder and captives. In Christ, sin shall no longer be our master, because we are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14).

Here is the ultimate test whether we belong to Christ or not. Jesus Christ is the measuring line of good and bad.

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Luke 11:23)

Jesus warns those who continue to deny the work of the Father that the worst would suddenly come upon them.

“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:24-28)

There is no other way of being freed and released from the iron bondage of sin and death than the way of Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus sacrificed His life in our place in order to snatch away the captives from the gridlock power of darkness because it is the way to bring them back to the Father. God is holy, so He shall be hallowed in perfection and without ceasing. No sin can stand before the Holy God. That’s why even the best man ever lived on the earth must be put to death when God made Him sin in our place.

The blood of Christ Jesus can purge and cleanse away the sin of mankind no matter how serious it may be. Prophet Isaiah invites all to the One who is able to cleanse and purge away the sin. “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

We have been brought back into the light of God, redeemed and liberated completely and fully. Here is one thing we shall continue to do as Apostle John tells us—admit our sins and profess them honestly and humbly before the righteous and faithful God. In Christ, we have been called to walk in the light, not in the darkness. Admit our wrongs and confess our failings, that's the way to walk in the light.

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:5-10)

Apostle Paul assures us so pertinently and aptly that our confidence is rooted and established in the love of God. 

"For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" (Romans 5:10)