As we sing “O Holy Spirit enter in, and in our hearts your work begin, and make our hearts your dwelling,”
And we consider the Words and warnings of Jesus, the Jesus who casts out demons by the finger of God, who proclaims the kingdom of God has come upon you, warns of an unclean spirit who once had gone out of a person….returns to the house from which it came…found it swept and put in order…and then brings seven other spirits more evil than itself.
I want you to fill in this sentence:
I’m so filled with….
What fills you this day or these days?
Anxiety?
Fear?
Anger?
After Jesus cast out a demon who was mute from a man who once was mute, but now speaks, some believe Jesus gets his authority because He is filled with demons Himself.
some of them said, “He cast out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,”
16while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven.
The bulk of our text is a sermon Jesus preaches to this group:
A group obviously filled with, you name it:
Rage,
fear,
jealousy,
cowardice.
Jesus casts out what the text describes as a demon who was mute, by the finger of God, and the man this demon filled was made mute. Once Jesus casts the demon out, the man speaks.
What you are filled with manifests itself.
What fills your heart shows itself in thoughts, words, and deeds.
Mute demon filling, mute man.
Fear filled heart, fear filled deeds.
Anger filled heart, anger filled words.
Pride filled heart, pride filled thoughts.
So if you’re thinking you aren’t filled with anything like that ugly stuff mentioned thus far, let him who thinks he stands, take heed, lest he fall.
Jesus preaches that the kingdom of God has come upon you – which helps us remember somebody or something is always ruling us. Kings have a reign. So do strong men and stronger men, that Jesus also speaks about.
Jesus also preaches there only being two options: whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Jesus also speaks about there never being such a thing as a person not filled – a demon cast out, comes back and finds its first home swept and put in order – but here’s the point: the person is empty – the unclean comes back seven other spirits more evil than itself and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.
An amazing thing happened to you when you were baptized.
The Holy Spirit entered. His work began. He filled you. You were made a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Some of the ancient liturgies called for this exorcism rite to be said in Baptism:
Depart, O unclean spirit, and make room for the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit filled you with faith and hope and love. He moved in. And there isn’t any room for unclean spirits when He moves in. Out they go.
[Selfishness gets kicked out.
Pride gets kicked out.
Rebellion against God’s Word and ways gets kicked out.
Make room for the Holy Spirit.]
[No room for fear when the Spirit is keeping us mindful of the God’s Fatherly mercy
No room for pride or despair when the Spirit it keeping us thankful for God’s goodness
No room for lust or anger or greed when the Spirit rules our hearts so we desire to serve God in holiness and pureness of living.]
The Spirit moved in. The finger of God cast out the unclean spirits. The kingdom of God came near.
That’s an amazing beginning of the story into the Christian faith, but that’s not the end of the story.
God must continue to keep working through your baptism and the Holy Spirit must continue to enter in because the unclean spirit is trying to find a way back in and he brought seven other spirits more evil than himself.
So be filled today: with the Lord’s Supper,
with God’s Word,
songs of the Spirit,
and keep being filled all week long with prayer, prayer, prayer,
lest the last state will be worse than the first.
That frightening warning is not to cause you ultimate fear.
We fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
But the warning is to be taken seriously, lest we think you can touch unclean and evil things like
pornography and drugs,
or gossip and bitterness,
or looking always toward out this present life and our stuff
and not be effected by that.
But our ultimate fear is not in the demons, but in Jesus, who appeared to destroy the works of the devil.
What this text is asking is, “What are you filled with?”
Sometimes we are filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faith and the like – but here’s the thing – those are fruits of the Spirit.
You didn’t produce that. You didn’t make that.
They come out because you are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Be filled again today.
You are filled again today.
Depart O unclean spirit and make room for the Holy Spirit.
After Jesus teaches the disciples to pray the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus tells us a story:
About one man who had a friend who needed some bread.
He didn’t have any bread to give.
So he went to another friend to ask for some bread so he could give his first friend some bread.
Jesus’ story concludes the promise that the heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.
You don’t have what others need. You don’t have the bread others are asking for. What they need is your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control –
You don’t have that in yourself. You don’t produce that yourself.
But you do receive the Spirit again and again.
So keep praying, “O Holy Spirit, enter it…”
Keep receiving in faith the Word and Supper and keep praying. You’ll also keep having love to give others.
And remember what you do by nature produce – a lack of trust in God, a desire not to pray to Him or hear Him or love Him with all your heart.
That what will keep trying to fill your heart regarding God and that will keep coming out also in how you treat our neighbor.
But Jesus does not come today to condemn you for that today.
Jesus casts out demons by the finger of God.
Jesus does not come today to point at you and say how evil you and how much you deserve His wrath and anger.
He casts out demons by the finger of God.
Jesus’ finger is a part of a hand that was nailed to the cross for you.
That hand was part of a body that was pierced in the side for you.
That body had a back that was whipped and scourged for you.
Jesus was filled with your sin and received God’s wrath we deserve.
So that when He comes to point a finger at you,
it’s to cast out demons,
to fill you again with His life giving Spirit.
It’s to say: that one, I forgive.
That one, she’s with Me.
That one, gather him to me again so that I may fill him with my mercy and show compassion.
There are so many ways today Jesus fills you again with His life and His love and His Spirit. Jesus ends our text for today with a blessing of those who hear the Word of God and keep it
We are blessed again for the Holy Spirit to move in.
O Holy Spirit, keep entering in and in our hearts your work begin again.