READINGS FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE:
Jeremiah 26:1-15
Ephesians 5:1-9
- St. Luke 11:14-28
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of
God and of Jesus our Lord. (2 Pet 1)
Who speaks to you on this day from His Gospel heard, saying:
“Whoever is not
with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
Thus far from God’s Word, caused to be written and heard so
that we more firmly believe in Jesus and the hope He gives. For we do not look
for proof of that hope in temporary things, but permanent things. While God
gives good to us, the greatest good is His resurrection into which He baptizes
us. This is the comfort we give out to our neighbor.
We do not give out the comfort of combat, that if we just
play Opposite Day with the devil, we will automatically gather with God. That
is a satanic trick, for the devil does not care for fair play, logic, or honor.
His only concern is gaining his own goal, as evidenced today.
For, he tempts the Jews to think that they are godly by
destroying the reputation of, what they think, is a false prophet. By doing do,
in God’s Name, they are doing God’s Work. However, since there is such a thing
as exorcism, their same proofs turn into accusations. They live as if exorcism
is real, but then say its false when someone they don’t like does it.
This cognitive dissonance is the devil’s work. He can take
two positions at the same time. First is we believe that we have the ability to
love God above all things, which is why say we can enjoy blessings and kick out
the devil, if we have to. Second, we believe all men are sinners and cannot do
those things. “At the same time”, our Confessions state, “we attribute to
mankind a concupiscence (wicked desire) that is not entirely destroyed by the
Holy Spirit and also the ability to love God above all things.” (AP II(I):23-25)
Maybe your new “shock of the week” is who shot JFK. And
although we have been shocked by that question for well over half a century, we
still don’t want to know. We don’t want to know, because the real question is
not who shot him, but can we trust our government. And if we can’t trust our
government, who are elected officials allegedly, then we can’t trust the people
who elected them.
This is what gave rise to social media and all the
back-biting and hate spewed on the “other party”. It is ok when we do it,
though, because we were right. How often we forget that we are voters, as well.
Maybe we should give up voting for Lent and forever?
Yet, even if we know, we know that nothing will change.
Nothing can shock us into changing our minds or our lives anymore. And that
scares us, because we know we know and we don’t do anything about it. That
depresses us and deflates us, because we like to present ourselves as right and
virtuous. When that doesn’t turn out, we point at someone else.
When the Jews declare, or maybe ask, that Jesus is doing the
devil’s work, they only want to know if they are right or wrong. They don’t
want to understand Jesus. Since they can’t be wrong, by default, they simply
take the position that Jesus is wrong, no matter what. No matter if it means
consigning their own sons to hell with Him.
So now who cast out the demon? Who can you trust? Can you
trust the Word of God working in and through your sons? Can you trust the same
Word of God doing the same work, but through Jesus? Can you trust your
super-spiritual discernment as God’s own?
Our Confessions state:
Furthermore, remember that God punishes sin with sins. This
means that because of their self-confidence, lack of repentance, and willful
sins, He later punishes with hard-heartedness and blindness those who had been
converted, [as He says in Hebrews 6:4-6].
This punishment should not be interpreted to mean that it
never had been God's good pleasure that such persons should come to the
knowledge of the truth and be saved. For both these facts are God's revealed
will:
1) God will receive into grace all who repent and believe in
Christ.
2) He also will punish those who willfully turn away from
the holy commandment and again entangle themselves in the world's filth,
decorate their hearts for Satan, and despise God's Spirit. They will be
hardened, blinded, and eternally condemned if they persist in such things. Even
Pharaoh perished in this way. (SD XI:83-84)
Repent. Blame never ends with each other. Remember Adam and
Eve passed the blame, not onto the serpent, but onto God. “It was the woman You
gave me,” said Adam. “It was the serpent You made here,” said Eve. “Its Jesus’s
fault I can’t make sense in my arguments against God” or for God, or…I don’t
know!
With this, we begin to understand Original Sin. Our blame
always ends with fingers pointed at God, thus, Original Sin denies obedience to
God in our bodies, denies knowing God, and denies placing confidence in God.
Moreover the gifts and abilities needed to produce these acts are also
completely corrupted in us.
Of equal importance is understanding the word concupiscence,
which means wicked desire. That when righteousness has been lost, concupiscence
takes its place. Since diseased nature cannot fear and love God and believe
God, it seeks and loves carnal things. By nature, when we are secure, we hold
God's judgment in contempt [and] When we are terrified, we hate God's
judgment.
Concupiscence is not only a corruption of physical
qualities, but also, in the higher powers, a vicious turning to fleshly things.
Thus the Jews, and we, do not realize the devilish contradiction in what we are
saying. At the same time, we attribute to mankind a concupiscence that is not
entirely destroyed by the Holy Spirit [yet] also the ability to love God above
all things. (AP II(I):23-25)
According to Jesus, it will take armed robbery in order to
remedy this upside-down belief, it will take something stronger than the
nurture of the Mother of God, it will take an exorcism. However, as the Jews
pointed out, the exorcism will need to be done by someone who is not possessed,
otherwise, how would you know it was done?
The gift Jesus gives to His Church is faith. Faith is the
sinless work of God done in us. Faith is the light shining in the darkness.
Faith is the outside work of God overcoming our inward concupiscence and
cleansing in such a way to create that belief. And that begins at the
Resurrection of Jesus.
God will raise up the righteous and Jesus is raised on the
Third Day. After the resurrection, there is no question as to Who was right in
this Gospel reading. Because it wasn’t about the exorcism, or the Jews
authority, or St. Mary, but the Resurrection.
That is, the only reason Jesus cast out this demon was to
show that His suffering and death would cast out all demons, forever, for those
who believe. The only reason St. Mary was highly favored was to prove just how
much power is in the faith that the Crucified and Resurrected Lord gives to
you. And in His Word and Sacrament, that is always available to you.
From the Confessions again:
“…the sense is not that faith, only in the beginning, lays
hold of righteousness and salvation, and then resigns its office to the works
as though thereafter they had to sustain faith, the righteousness and salvation
being already received, but in order that the promise, not only of receiving,
but also of retaining righteousness and salvation, may be firm and sure to
us.
St. Paul in Romans 5:2, ascribes to faith not only the
entrance to grace, but also that we stand in grace and boast of the future
glory, that is, the beginning, middle, and end he ascribes all to faith alone”
(SD iv:34).
What this means is that receiving faith is promised, as we
have by His grace alone. But also retaining faith is promised. If we feel weak,
we can ask for strength. If we feel led astray we can ask for guidance. If we
are unsure of whether or not Jesus or the devil is casting out demons, we can
ask for faith and assurance and it will be given.
The devil can lie, cheat, steal, and do fake miracles all he
wants. What he cannot do is be crucified and rise again. That is the difference
between an exorcism of beelzebub and an exorcism of Christ. In one, faith is
taken and in the other, faith is given. In one, wealth, riches, and prosperity
is hoarded and locked up, for one. In the other, the very kingdom of heaven
itself is given away to all through faith alone.
The Word and Sacraments of God cannot be copied. You can be
the foremost expert in exorcism in the world, but if you have not the saving
power of Christ’s Church, you are scattering God’s people.
But if the Word is gathering us together with the risen
Christ and His Church to receive His gifts of forgiveness and life, all the
while giving thanks for blessings, exorcisms, and any other spiritual act we
experience, then that is Truth.
For experience tells you that you do not have the reason or
strength to come to Jesus or believe in Him. You couldn’t even answer the Jews
accusation today! But the Holy Spirit has Called you by the Gospel, enlightened
you with His Gifts, sanctified and keeps you to this day, in the one, true
faith. Not in exorcisms, but in the Resurrection of Jesus and the hope of our
resurrection in the body, promised.
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