Lent - Week 3 - Sunday

Welcome to Luther, for the busy man, the week of Aculeat's Sunday, our scripture reading

comes from the book of Luke, chapter 11, verses 14 through 28.

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 Biel's above, the Prince of demons he is driving out demons.

Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

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 Biel's above.

Now if I drive out demons by Biel's above, by whom do your followers drive them out?

So then they will be your judges.

And if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

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.

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places, seeking rest

and does not find it.

When 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 up, 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.

For scripture lesson comes from the book of Luke, chapter 11, verse 14.

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.

This is a beautiful gospel, in which we learn a great deal about many different things,

and in it there is portrayed almost all that Christ, His kingdom, and gospel are.

We learn what the gospel achieves and how it makes its way in the world.

First of all, as do all the gospels, it teaches us faith and love.

For it holds up Christ before us as a savior and help in all needs out of His great love.

He who believes this is saved.

Here we see also that He has nothing to do with those who are well, but with the poor man

who is ailing under many troubles.

He was blind as Matthew tells us, and mute and possessed by a demon as Luke says.

Most of the deaf are also mute, so that in Greek the same word is used for deaf and mute.

The concern of Jesus for this poor man is an incentive for us to turn to Him in every

need, expecting from Him all that is good.

After experiencing good at His hands, we should follow Him in love and do good to others

as He has done good to us.

This is the common and most delightful teaching of this gospel and of all the gospels throughout

the whole church year.

This poor mute man, moreover, did not come to Jesus without the word.

Those who brought Him to Jesus must have heard of Christ's love, and this moved them

to put their trust in Him.

Let us always remember that faith comes through the word.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus, your love and compassion for men in their trials and troubles was truly wonderful.

Be to us, a helper and savior also today, for your mercy's sake, Amen.

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