Luke 11:24-28
24 “When the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it then says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’
25 And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.
26 Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they come in and live there; and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first.”
27 While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that carried You, and the breasts at which You nursed!”
28 But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it.”
The Return of the Unclean Spirit
Message to the Jews
In the previous passage, it became clear that the Jews had rejected Jesus as the Messiah. On that basis, Jesus told the story of an unclean spirit that, after going out, seeks to return. This story is not a general statement, but a message directed specifically to the Jews. Let us examine its content. The kingdom of God movement began with the ministry of John the Baptist (ref. Luke 3:3 and beyond). He preached along the Jordan River a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The prophet Isaiah prophesied as follows: “The voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight! And all flesh will see the salvation of God.’” John’s work was like cleaning a house in preparation to welcome the Messiah, Jesus. However, the Jews did not welcome the Messiah into the house that had been cleaned. Eventually, the evil spirit that had gone out returned, bringing with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they settled there. In other words, the spiritual condition of the Jews became worse than before. As a result, they would experience the most tragic judgment in Jewish history, which is the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Message for us
The story of the “return of the unclean spirit” is also a message for us. There are people who once read the Bible eagerly and attended church faithfully, but after stopping, they ended up in a worse state than before. Have you ever seen such a person? What was the problem? The failure was that they did not welcome the Holy Spirit into the cleansed house. Our hearts cannot remain as empty houses forever. It is either to welcome the Holy Spirit or to invite in evil spirits. From among the crowd, a woman raised her voice and said to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that carried You, and the breasts at which You nursed!” This was an expression of faith in Jesus. But Jesus taught that what matters is not whether one is connected by blood, but whether one is spiritually connected to God. The unbelief of the Jews had crossed the point of no return. How about you? While the time of grace is still given, let us turn back to God. Let us be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, I pray for those who were once zealous in faith but have now drifted away from You. Please have mercy on them, who have become worse off than they were at first. Save them from destruction. Send me to such people. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.