According to Luke’s Gospel Jesus has just taught his disciples how to pray the Our Father and has given to them some lessons on how loving God is by using the earthly fatherhood as an example.
14 Now he was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke, and the people marveled.
Jesus is performing one of his many exorcisms, in this case a demon that was dumb. This shouldn’t be confused with the deaf and dumb spirit that possessed a mans son in Matthew 17 or Mark 9, it appears to be another example of an elemental spirit possession. St Paul makes note in his letters of “elemental spirits” which appear in his line-up of evil spirits in the world and it is my personal theory that when possessions occur with lesser or zero intelligence on the side of the possessor, it is one of these “elemental spirits” doing it.
Elemental not in the sense of fire or water but elemental in the sense of simplicity, when they possess people they cause harm but are not capable of speech. Jesus even makes it clear in the context of the boy that these types of spirits don’t belong to the same order of demons that we typically think of, the authority he passed to apostles cannot exorcise these demons, Jesus himself as the Word has the authority obviously but what he extended to the apostles and their successors does not, outside of Jesus’ Will only fasting and prayer can exorcise them.
After exorcising the elemental spirit from the man, he is able to speak again. All those surrounding Jesus are impressed at his ability. Exorcism was not unheard of in Second Temple Judaism, in fact it was something done by those who held binding and loosing authority, it required great preparation, blessed items or relics and the intercession of the patriarchs, prophets and angels. Jesus however, can just “do it” by his will. This is what is most likely causing the amazement.
15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Be-elzebul, the prince of demons”;
16 while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven.
Matthew and Mark specify the Pharisees and and Scribes as the accusers in their telling of this event but Luke simply says “some of them”, Mark and Matthew were likely trying to highlight the vocal portion of the accusers whereas Luke is being more general, there is no contradiction. Luke then points to another group who are there to test him, they seek a “sign from heaven” this is rather literal. Signs in the sky were used to justify many things and from their perspective, if Jesus really was a big shot he could prove it by showing one.
The first group state do not deny Jesus’ supernatural abilities, it is important to stress that there were frauds and scam artists even back in the first century but that is not what they accuse Jesus of being. They say that he is in fact doing supernatural acts but by the power of “Be-elzebul, the prince of the demons.”
Beelzebub or Be-elzebul is a name derived from a title given to the highest deity of the Philistines, Ba’al. Beel coming from Ba’al which means Lord and zebub/zebul meaning Of Flies. So it means literally “Lord of Flies”. It is hard to tell when exactly it became synonymous with the evil one probably around the first century BC but it is not too hard to see how the Hebrews saw the chief deity of their enemies as the chief evil cosmic force opposing God or at least having some association with each other.
An insight is also being given into the evil cosmic hierarchy according to the Jews, there was a leader of the evil spirits that rebel against God. As above, so below.
17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.
18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Be-elzebul.
19 And if I cast out demons by Be-elzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
Jesus explains the flaw in their rushed logic. If there is a supernatural war going on in the unseen realm, how on earth could the evil one side against himself? He would just lose quicker. They couldn’t deny what Jesus was doing as supernatural so they reached for an illogical explanation instead of the most obvious one.
Jesus also responds with a different term for Be-elzebul, prince of the demons than his accusers used, without any need to clarify that it is the same individual. Jesus refers to this figure as Satan, as he does elsewhere. This can be confusing for readers who remember this name from the Book of Job or in 1 Samuel or even when Jesus calls Peter one so lets do a quick primer on “Satan”.
The English word Satan comes from the Hebrew “śāṭān,” which means “adversary,” “accuser,” or “opponent.” It is essentially a description of someone’s position in opposition to something else. In the Hebrew Bible, it is used to describe human adversaries. For example, in 1 Samuel 29:4, David is called a satan because he is an adversary to the Philistines.
However, in other contexts, the term describes a celestial being. In Job and Zechariah, we encounter “ha-satan,” or “the satan.” This use of the definite article (“the”) indicates a title or role rather than a personal name. In these instances, ha-satan functions as a kind of divine prosecutor within God’s heavenly court, challenging the righteousness of humans. This figure is distinct from the serpent in the Garden of Eden, the evil one.
When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek in the Septuagint, all uses of satan were rendered as diabolos (διάβολος), which means “slanderer” or “accuser.” Depending on the context, diabolos could signify either a judicial opponent or a malicious enemy. Importantly, the meaning of satan as an adversary is retained, even as the term begins to shift linguistically and theologically.
By the time of Jesus’ ministry, satan had become a widely recognized term for the cosmic adversary, reflecting the influence of Second Temple literature and evolving Jewish theology. In the Gospels, Jesus refers to satan as a proper noun for the figure who tempts Him in the wilderness (e.g., Matthew 4:1–11, Luke 4:1–13). However, He also uses the term generically, such as when He rebukes Peter in Mark 8:33: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Jesus now turns it back to them, being able to rule out there pathetic accusation of Satan being the origin of his power, it leaves only one. He leaves it open ended though to force them to come to the correct conclusion. Jesus’ language is interesting. He says if the source of his power is from “the finger of God” (which is the only possible answer left) then that it self is also a sign that the Kingdom of God has come upon you. This is the fulfilment stage of salvation that all Jews were waiting for, although they all had wide varying views on what it would entail.
The term “finger of God” is fascinating because Jesus has shown himself to be the “true manna from heaven”, he has re-enacted Moses’ bringing the Law from the mountain in the Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere it is articulated that his person is the Word and “way”. Now he is saying the source of his power is from the “finger of God”. This is the exact same phrasing used to describe Aaron’s staff that budded and performed miracles in the Exodus. These were the three objects found in the Ark.
21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace;
22 but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil.
Now Jesus delivers what appears to some as an unrelated parable and many sceptics assume this to be just “stitched” on to the recorded event for no purpose but it isn’t. Jesus is explaining in natural earthly terms what is happening in his exorcisms. A strong man, fully armed can guard himself and his possessions without issue, until someone stronger than him comes along, overcomes him, strips him of his armour and divides takes away his possessions.
Up until the point of the New Covenant, Satan had a very real ownership of the earth and its inhabitants. Yahweh, through divine condescension only took one portion for himself, Abraham and his descendants after the Tower of Babel incident. The nations were put under the authority of lesser Elohim who would rebel at some point and be thrown down to become what we call demons who served their leading rebel prince, Satan. The Old Covenants did not provide the filial ownership that the New one offers. This is why every baptism is accompanied with an exorcism, because you’re owned by the evil one. But what would happen if someone stronger than him came along, assails him, overcomes him, seizes his good and divides the spoil? That is what Jesus is doing in exorcisms and by extension what his Church does in every baptism.
23 He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
Jesus now explains the ultimatum of himself here, he isn’t on the side of goodness, he is goodness. He isn’t on the side of unity, he is unity. Anyone who is not with him, is against him and those who don’t gather with him cannot stand together at all, including Satan himself.
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