Title: Unclean Spirit Delights with the House Unoccupied
- Background
What is the situation that caused Jesus to say about this illustration?
- It was the Sabbath
Mat 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grainfields, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads (of grains) and eat.
Jesus and His disciples were going through the grainfields on the Sabbath. The Pharisees complained and asked Jesus why your disciples were breaking the Sabbath and do something they should not have done on the Sabbath. Jesus answered them, it is not a sin when they are in the temple. And because Jesus is the temple and greater than the temple, it is ok to pick grains and eat of them (Mat 12:3-6).
- Is it lawful to heal people on the Sabbath?
Mat 12:10 And behold, (there was) a man with a withered hand. And they questioned Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”- in order that they might accuse Him.
This was to accuse Jesus by giving Him a difficult question to answer. Jesus answered as it is natural to go and save a sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath, it is also ok to heal the sick (Mat 12:11-12).
- The most pitiful case was brought to Jesus.
Mat 12:22 Then there was brought to Him a demon-possessed man (who was) blind and dumb, and He healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw.
This person had 3 sicknesses and how pitiful it is! However, there is one greater aspect to the last person which is Prophet Isaiah prophesied that when the Messiah comes, the blind will be open and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped (Isa 35:5).
When the last person was healed, people started questioning each other, “Isn’t this a thing only the Messiah can perform?”
Mat 12:23 And all the multitudes were amazed, and (began) to say, “This (man) cannot be the Son of David, can he?”
It is known that the Messiah will come as the Son of David. Therefore, what they were saying was “Can Jesus be the Messiah?” However, religious leaders and elders didn’t like people thinking about such possibility because people won’t come to listen to them but go after Jesus. In today’s term, because of Jesus, they are losing their job. It is obvious that they hated Jesus. So, they spread the fake news that Jesus heals people by the power of Beelzebul (Mat 12:24). Beelzebul is recorded as Baal-zebul in 2 Kgs 1:2 which means a god of flies and the resident god of city Ekron, the city of the Philistine.
It was the moment when they could recognize and accept Jesus as the Messiah but out of envy, they falsely accused Jesus as the man of Beelzebul, the god of flies. How unwise their reaction was.
- Who is the house unoccupied?
Unclean spirit came out of a man and wandered around but not found any better place. So, it went back to the previous person and saw the house was unoccupied and in order. Then, it brought 7 other spirits and went into him, thus the last state of that man become worse than before (Mat 12:43-45).
So, who is this man in the parable of Jesus? Jesus was referring to the religious leaders: Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and elders.
Then, what is wrong with the house unclean and unoccupied?
- Swept (Sarow)
It gives an impression of a house being swept with a broom but not thoroughly cleansed - In order (Kosmeo)
This word has a meaning of decorating with honor. The founding pastor explained that this is to decorate outwardly to hide the parts that was worn out or dirty. - Unoccupied (Scolazo)
This word has a meaning of having no king or no ruler.
Jesus was pointing out the condition of the religious leaders of that time who were hypocrites. God cannot dwell in them as they are dirty inside (Mat 23:26-28).
Because they didn’t receive Jesus the Messiah and because their house remained unoccupied, the unclean spirit brought back 7 other spirits. In the end, the house was occupied by 8 evil spirits. With one evil spirit, there is chaos. If 8 evil spirits, there is no hope. See, Jesus said their condition became worsen.
Conclusion: Is our temple occupied by God?
How are we going to let Jesus occupy our houses and our temples?
Jhn 1 says that Jesus is the Word. So, listening to the Word of God is accepting Jesus as the king of my life. Also, verse 14 says that Jesus is full of grace and truth. So, being filled with grace and understanding the Word of truth is accepting Jesus as the king of my life.
Let’s examine ourselves and see what is there. If there is a waste, if there is freshly lust, if there is worldly anxiety, let’s clean it up today. Let’s fill our houses with the Word, with the Grace, and with the Truth so that we may become the temple where Jesus dwells and our Father God lives with us. Amen!
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 