Luke 11:24-26
When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it roams through waterless places looking for rest, and not finding rest, it then says, ‘I’ll go back to my house where I came from.’ And returning, it finds [the house] swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’s last condition is worse than the first.”
This has been a tough one for me. Wouldn’t you want the “house” swept and put in order? Wouldn’t the spirit have entered in because perhaps the house was messy and out of order? I mean, God is a God of order…. So what gives? Well, the verses just before this offer up some clarity. Jesus was speaking to a grumpy bunch who were accusing him of having a demon himself. He gave the point that if he was of the devil, then he wouldn’t also be against the devil – the whole “house divided thing”.
Luke 11:20 says, “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.”
Again, what gives? If the kingdom of God has come to you… what’s up with the ordered house that invited an infestation? Well, think of it this way. Have you ever had someone want to visit you, but you felt you had to decline because of things not being in order? Maybe you offered to meet them out somewhere instead, offered another time, or simply said, “not now”? Things are the same with our relationship with God. There is a difference between the healthy reverence of His Kingdom and wanting to represent it well, and shamefully saying “I’ll join the team, but I’m just gonna take a seat on the bench.” Fear. It is a liar. Great song, greater point. In highschool, I was on the volleyball team. I was terrified. I never anticipated actually making the team, and vividly remember thinking when I got the call, “no problem, I will simply count being invited to join as an accomplishment (I had broke my serving arm only a few months prior), and then politely decline to participate”. Well, enter in my parents – I was forced to join the team. So, instead of trying, sometimes failing, but also sometimes scoring for the team (ahem.. also worth mentioning that when I wasn’t paralyzed by fear, I had an awesome spike), I preferred to plop myself on the bench where I was convinced my imperfection belonged.
Jonah is a fantastic example. Everyone wants to rag on him because he didn’t want to go to Nineveh, yes and also then got eaten…. But he was actively serving God. He had a giant hiccup with fear, and then was redeemed and continued serving God. It was recorded for all of history to see. But the city was saved. Others he spoke with were impacted as he continued to serve. And perhaps the coolest thing, his 3 days in the fish were a reference point to Christ’s death and resurrection. Kind of a big deal.
My point is, following Christ is messy business. But it’s not enough to simply thank him for the invitation. When the kingdom comes to you… invite it into your house. Mess and all. It is not our job to get ourselves in order … we won’t mess up the “look” of Christianity. God is a God of order. Let Him get your brokenness dealt with the way He sees fit. If we are truly a vessel, and we are to have the fullness of God – His joy, graciousness, and peace (Phil. 4:4), then in our finite space we must empty out, casting our cares, our brokenness, our fears to Him.
When glass breaks, it tends to be difficult to clean. If there are shards, sometimes we don’t see it until they are stepped on. There is always that lingering fear of “did I get it all”? It may give you pause before having someone come walk on the area. Maybe you are obsessively trying to clean up your brokenness. They say hope floats… but I think broke floats too. And the very best way we can live to bring glory to our Lord, is wide open to Him. If we are filled by Him, the brokenness floats to the top, where it can be skimmed off. The key to remember, just like simmering soup, is that ugly will rise up and float, for all to see. But that is also the one way to know it is genuinely homemade.
Prayers and Petition 