Holy Home Invasion

Tied up at Gunpoint

There’s a HUGE crash as the front door flies open! Before anyone knows what’s happening, a handful bad guys have you and your family tied up and at gunpoint.

I don’t pretend to be a victim of a home invasion and certainly never hope to be. I hate it for anyone of you who may have been.

But did you know that Jesus actually talks about one of these attacks in Scripture (Mk 3:22-30)? Not only that, He’s actually the One who pulls it off! I’m telling you, there’s some wonderfully wild stuff in the documents we call the Bible. Do yourself a huge favor and read it for yourself.

An Accusation from the Home Office

Interestingly, the Lord shares this story while He’s at a residence in the fishing village of Capernaum in Galilee. A team of religious leaders from the home office have arrived. They think they’ve figured out how the radical Rabbi/Carpenter is kicking some serious demonic tail.

According to them, Jesus has the ability to exorcise evil spirits because He’s actually playing for Satan’s team. They accuse Him of being a mole or a plant. Their theory is that demons do what He says because it’s all part of the devil’s con game.

Our Savior tells these so-called experts to pump their brakes. They’ve got it all wrong. He’s got supernatural connections alright. But it’s with the Holy Spirit of God. They’re on an eternally slippery slope when they accuse Him of collaborating with the very one He came to defeat.

Wild Reports out of Galilee

As we mentioned earlier, this is at a home in Capernaum. It’s either the house Peter and Andrew share or the Son of God has His own place. It’s actually the same location and same moment when Jesus’ family comes to take Him home because they believe He’s lost His mind (Mk 3:20-21).

Not only have Mary and His brothers arrived. Some religious honchos have come to town to get to the bottom of all the wild reports they’re hearing from Galilee. Chances are local scribes and Pharisees made a 9-1-1 call to Jerusalem after Jesus handed them their lunch five times in a row (Mk 2:1-3:-6).

Jumping to Conclusion

A team of Jewish lawyers have already come to their conclusion before they come to town. Christ isn’t crazy. According to them, it’s worse than that. He’s controlled by Satan.

“But the teachers of the religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, ‘He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where He gets the power to cast out demons’” (v22).

Jewish Bible Scholars

In the original language, Mark describes these teachers using the Greek word γραμματευς/grammateus. It literally means one who writes. Back in the day, this is somebody who works as a clerk or specializes in written documents.

In this case, those documents are the Scriptures. And at this time, we’re talking about the Old Testament since it is the ONLY testament around in the early First Century. They’re big-time Bible scholars.

Did You Hear the One about the Lawyer?

These religious teachers are experts in God’s Word and its application. They are seen as lawyers when it comes to God’s Law. So apparently lawyer jokes go back a few years. These attorneys will soon find out the joke’s on them.

John Mark has mentioned scribes on three previous occasions (Mk 1:22; 2:6, 16). But this is a new crew. These are the big dogs who’ve made the 85-mile trip from Jerusalem to put an end to this nonsense in north.

Beelze-what?

They cut to the chase and make their charge. “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons” (v22). The translators of the NLT have tried to do us a favor and do the heavy lifting for us from the original Greek. But there’s some cool stuff going on here.

“Satan” is actually “Beelzebul” (Gr. Βεελζεβουλ/Beelzeboul). It’s the proper name for a Philistine deity, a variation on “Baal-Zebul” which mens “Baal the Prince.” The Israelites liked to twist it into Beelzebub, a putdown that means “lord of flies.”

Savior from Heaven or Trojan Horse from Hell?

Beelzebul is the handle they gave the devil as the demonic boss of all evil spirits. Just about every appearance of this title is in connection with this same story in the first three Gospels (Mt 12:23-32; Lk 11:14-23).

Their point is that Jesus casts out evil spirits because their satanic supervisor has told them to go. “That’s where He gets the power to cast out demons” (v22). According to them, Christ isn’t our Savior from heaven but a Trojan horse straight from hell.

A Teachable Moment

But whattaya know…the Son of God graciously sees their vicious indictment as a teachable moment. “Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration” (v23). He invites them over to explain.

The Lord doesn’t light them up. He doesn’t throw them under the bus. Instead He takes a moment to teach. There’s a lesson for all of us. His response is compassionate and caring.

Jesus begins by asking these scribes a question. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” (v23). Okay, boys. Since you’re the religious experts, tell Me how this works. He asks them to explain how in the devil’s name this would happen.

Gotta tell ya, the first thing that came to my mind is that scene in “Liar, Liar” where Jim Carrey beats the stuffing out of himself.

Civil Wars and Family Feuds

The Jewish teachers have got nothing. It’s almost like they haven’t thought their theory through. Jesus follows with a couple of examples of why their idea doesn’t hold a drop of water.

First He says, “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse” (v24). A nation with that level of turmoil will destroy itself from the inside out. Its own citizens are its worst enemy. That even goes for Satan and his evil empire.

Secondly, the Son of God explains, “Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart” (v25). Okay, do I really need to explain this one? I think we all know families that are more than ready to play the feud…and I DON’T mean with Steve Harvey! Of course, I don’t mean yours. Heaven forbid.

Closing the Loop

With after drawing those examples, the Lord closes the loop and tells them how ludicrous their assumption is. “And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive” (v26).

Again, nothing but crickets from these Jewish hotshots. Don’t you just wonder what this moment must have been like? How long does Jesus wait in awkward silence before He continues?

Holy Home Invasion

At some point, Christ continues. “Let Me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house” (v27).

Here’s where we get to the home invasion. Let’s break it down so we understand who’s involved and what’s going on.

Satan’s Turf

Jesus uses the strong man’s house as a picture of Satan’s turf. Thanks to our sin and rebellion, we’ve opened the front door to the devil so he could walk right and rule our fallen world.

Our Savior tells His team how “Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out” (Jn 12:31). Paul warns the Corinthians how the evil one “is the god of this world” (2Cor 4:4). In other words, the strong man’s house is our fallen world.

Our Hero to the Rescue!

There’s only One who has the muscle and authority to break in and take the devil down. You get three guess as to Who that is and your first two don’t count. Yup. Jesus. I knew you could do it.

But there’s more to this holy home invasion than just overpowering our enemy. Jesus will “plunder his goods” (v27). What in the world does the devil have that the Lord would want? Us.

That’s right, Christ crashes through the front door in order to free us from the power of Satan, sin, and death. We’re the stuff He’s come to steal! Our Hero has come to our rescue!! This scene makes “Taken” look like a fairy tale.

Tweet This

Just in case these religious teachers have missed His point, Jesus sums it all up. And to do so, He makes sure their paying attention by dropping the phrase “I tell you the truth” (v28).

This little expression is Jesus’ way of telling everybody He’s about to say something important. VERY important. No, it doesn’t mean that He’s been playing fast and loose with the facts up till now. This is His way of saying this is the bottom line of what we’re talking about.

“I tell you the truth” (v28). This is the first time of the fourteen times the Lord uses these words here in Mark’s Gospel (Mk 6:11; 8:12; 9:1, 41; 10:15, 29; 11:23; 12:43; 13:30; 14:9, 18, 25, 30). Each time He does, it’s His way of getting everyone’s attention. If there was social media back in the day, He might say, “Tweet this!”

No One Is Beyond God’s Reach

Okay. Everybody listening? Listen up. “All sin and blasphemy can be forgiven” (v28). Whoa. Picture jaws on the floor all around the room. Think about what Jesus has just said. There’s nothing you and I can do that can’t be forgiven.

There’s no sin and no slander that God won’t forgive. Not adultery. Not armed robbery. Not murder. Not suicide. That includes breaking any or all of God’s Top Ten (Ex 20).

How’s that possible? Because of one incredibly important fact. Jesus is a better Savior than we are sinners. No one, and He means NO ONE is beyond the reach of His rescue.

One Very Important Exception

Apart from one very important exception. The Lord spells it out. “But anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences” (v29).

What in the wild world of sports does this have to do with the scribes accusation of Jesus playing for Satan’s team or His point about the holy home invasion? Turns out, everything.

Rejecting His Rescue

To blaspheme (Gr. βλασφημεω/blasphemeo) is to defame, slander, insult, speak evil against somebody. It’s intentionally trashing someone’s reputation. In this case, slandering the Spirit of God.

It goes a little something like this. The Holy Spirit’s job is to open our hearts to God’s goodness. We insult Him when we reject His offer of rescue in the form of the Son of God.

Sawing off the Branch

When we turn our backs on Jesus, we give God’s grace the Heisman. That’s when we blaspheme the Holy Spirit. You can’t shake your fist at your Forgiver while at the same time accepting His forgiveness.

Or as the Message puts it, “You are repudiating the very One who forgives, sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives” (v29 The Message).

Evil Spirit or Holy Spirit?

Mark tells us this is exactly why Christ connects the dots for the scribes. “He told them this because they were saying, ‘He’s possessed by an evil spirit’” (v30).

Possessed by an evil spirit? Are you kidding me?!? Not even close. Jesus isn’t possessed by some evil spirit. He’s baptized by THE Holy Spirit! As a matter of fact, all three Members of the Trinity were there at the Jordan River that day (Mk 1:9-11).

It was an amazing moment when His Heavenly Dad gave His Son the ultimate “attaboy,” while the Spirit gave Him the supernatural ability to carry out His unbelievable search and rescue mission of sinners like you and me.

Evil spirit, no. Holy Spirit. Yes!

Tied up in Knots

So what do we do with all this talk of demonic possession, religious accusations, holy home invasions, and slandering the Spirit of God? I admit that it can get just a little confusing.

What has you tied up in knots? What has a hold on you that won’t let go? A sin? An addiction? A temptation? A self-destructive behavior. No matter how much you try or struggle, you can’t get free.

Let Him ALL the Way in

The great news is there’s Good News. There is Somebody who can cut you loose.  Jesus is able to punch demonic forces in the throat because He has the unlimited power of God’s Spirit at His disposal.

Only when we allow the Son of God to enter our lives do we have any hope of taking out the evil we’ve allowed in. Let Him in. I mean ALL the way in! Let Him do what He does best.

Do you need a holy home invasion? To be honest, we all do at some point.

©2017

Jay Jennings