Friday in the 27th Week Of Ordinary Time, October 8, 2021

Luke 11:15-26

When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said:

“By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.  When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”

Please pray for my sister’s daughter and her husband-to-be, at whose wedding I am officiating this (Friday) morning.  I have promised her that I will preach for an hour and a half. 

The Holy Scriptures give us a sense of the demons and their power through several vivid pictures.  “Who can strip off his outer garment? Who can penetrate his double coat of mail? Who can open the doors of his face? 

Round about his teeth is terror. His back is made of rows of shields, 

shut up closely as with a seal. One is so near to another that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated. His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn. Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth. Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. His breath kindles coals, and a flame comes forth from his mouth. In his neck abides strength, and terror dances before him. The folds of his flesh cleave together, firmly cast upon him and immovable. His heart is hard as a stone, hard as the nether millstone” (Job 41:13–24).  These words specifically describe the biblical sea monster the Leviathan, which is identified by the Fathers as signifying the devil.  Demons, in fact, possess greater power than the Leviathan is said to have here, and are far more dangerous.  When we read about the Lord exorcising demons, we should keep descriptions such as this in mind.  He engages in combat these against demons and drives them out with a command.  The visible power he exercises over demons dramatically signals for us his omnipotence.  The fact that any human can withstand the devil’s temptations and power shows us the armor that God’s grace provides us, as well as the strength of our guardian angels.  We ought to pray regularly to be delivered from temptation before we are ever tempted so that we may always be ready to fight, if we can, or run, if we cannot.