Texts: lsaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 12:22-33
When lwas in college and a relatively new Christian, I read a bookthat warped my admittedly limited
understanding of evil. lt was written by a Christian who made sensational claims about his supposed past
involvement in the satanic church. I wished I hadn't read it. The "before" parts left me shaken and afraid, and
the "after" parts didn't do much to set that fear at ease. For years afterward, I struggled to gain a right
perspective on evil and its relationship to the kingdom of God.
This morning, we are going to explore that topic. Our texts provide wonderful perspective that speak to us
about the relationship between evil and the kingdom of God.
The passage in Matthew opens with one of Jesus' miracles. lt's short, just two verses:
Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn't speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the
man so that he could both speak and see. The crowd was amazed and asked, "Could it be that Jesus is
the Son of David, the Messiah?" (Mat. t2:22-23)
The man was blind. He couldn't speak. And a demon claimed ownership of him. Let's look at those things.
He con't speok: lt's not the only time in Matthew when someone who is mute is also possessed by a demon
(Mat 9:32-33). Muteness makes it difficult to communicate with others. Think of how difficult it is for people to
really listen to each other and to make themselves understood. lt seems especially true in the past few years.
Someone who is mute is more isolated than most.
He is btind.l know two people who are legally blind. Despite being brilliant, each one finds life challenging.
There's another kind of blindness - spiritual blindness. Think of how often Jesus reprimands religious leaders
for their spiritual blindness! (Mat. 15:14,23:L6-26\ That kind of blindness prevents you from seeing God and
his goodness, his work, and his truth.
He is possessed by a demon. A demon claimed ownership of him. We could say he was locked up in the house
of a demon.
Jesus healsthe man "sothat he could both speakand see." (12:22\ lt hasthe peoplewonderingwhetherJesus
might be the Son of David, the Messiah.
This question turns us back to the passage we read in lsaiah 42 this morning. The first four verses are quoted in
Matthew 12, immediately before the story we just read. This passage is widely understood to be a prophecy
about the coming Messiah. Verses 1-4 parallel the verses Matthew quotes and applies to Jesus. But keep
reading - it gets even better! Speaking of his servant the Messiah, God says:
"1, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I willtake hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
1to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness." (lsa. 42:6-71
Those people who wondered out loud whetherJesus could be the Messiah must have known their Bibles! ln
healing the man who was blind, mute and possessed by a demon, Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy of lsaiah 42
that the Messiah would "open eyes that are blind, free captives from prison, and release from the dungeon
those who sit in darkness." Jesus' role in freeing prisoners becomes even clearer when we read his exchange
with the Pharisees, who accuse him of being in league with Satan. Jesus replies:
"...if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. For
who is powerful enough to enterthe house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone
even stronger-someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. (Mat. L2:28)
What goods is Jesus plundering? A person. A man living in the dark in lsaiah's dungeon. Jesus robs the demon
of his prisoner and sets him free.
Let's talk about demons. What are they? Servants of Satan. Spiritual beings. Part of creation that God created
good, but who rebelled against God and now stand against everything God cares about.
Demons cause deep inner torment that can lead people to inflict harm to themselves or others. (Mat. 8:28,
L5:22, t7:t5) ln Matthew 8, two demon-possessed men are said to be "so violent that no one could go
through that area" (Mat 8:28b). Mark describes one of them: "Day and night he wandered among the burial
caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones." (Mark 5:5)Years ago lworked with kids
we called "cutters," a behavior to try to let out pain.
Demons are opposed to life, wholeness, and truth; really, to everything that God is for. They work to blind
people to God and his work, causing people to doubt God's goodness and love. They isolate people from one
another. They isolate people from God, locking them in internal prisons of emotional and spiritual pain, where
they torment their prisoners with lies about God, themselves, and others. The result, the fruit, of demons'
work can manifest as inner pain, depression, self-harm, self-hatred, violence, cruelty, and distrust of God and
others. Demons imitate their father Satan. ln John's gospel, Jesus tells us Satan "was a murderer from the
beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with
his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44)
But there is good news. This isn't a civil war between God and Satan. Here's what Jesus tells the Pharisees in
our morning's gospel reading.
Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, 'Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family
splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against
himself. His own kingdom will not survive... But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then
the Kingdom of God has arrived among you," (Mat t2:25-26,28)
The Kingdom of God has arrived, and Satan and his demons are no match for Jesus our king. Rebels though
they are, when confronted by Jesus, they must obey.
2It's interesting to see how Jesus confronts them in Matthew 8. No elaborate prayer. No frightening exorcism.
No showmanship. Just a single word. "Gol" (Mat. 8:32) And the demons obey. Even though they are rebels,
when confronted by Jesus they must submit to him as the Lord of all creation; and with a word he sends them
away.
As Jesus' followers, we want to avoid two mistakes. The first is this: don't fail to take demons seriously. As
enlightened people, we might think demons are metaphorical beings, rather than real ones. ln The Screwtape
Letters, C.S. Lewis says demons want nothing more than for us "to disbelieve in their existence." The second
mistake is this: don't take them too seriously. Does that seem contradictory? By not taking them too seriously, I
mean that there's no need to be afraid when we're with Jesus.
The scriptures are so important in grounding us to truth in all areas, and especially about beings who by their
very nature are liars who will even impersonate angels. Remember that book I told you about reading as a
young Christian, the one that was unsettling to me? As I was preparing for today, I searched for it online and
read about the author. Turns out he became quite famous among evangelicals as an authority on the devil. He
conducted seminars, became part of the charismatic movement, and made recordings with a famous Christian
recording studio. Years later, this man was exposed as a fraud who had lied about the experiences he claimed
to have had. He greatly exaggerated his so-called knowledge, raised exorbitant amounts of money from his
followers to pay himself, ended each of his several marriages with an affair with his next wife-to-be, and
deceived many people. He was not a person I should have listened tol
It's important to stay alert and not get caught off guard by demonic lies and deceit. Learn to pay attention
when you see the fruits demons grow (by their fruit you shall know them): inner torment, isolation, spiritual
blindness, self-harm, violence. Remember also that Jesus sent his followers two-by-two. Praying with a sister or
brother can help us in so many ways!
iesus calls us to join him in taking back what the enemy has claimed, freeing those who are in prison. How?
We can't legislate against demons, because they aren't of this world and don't respond to worldly authority.
They respond to the Lord of creation, the King of the Kingdom of God. When confronted by Jesus they must
submit. When Jesus says "Go," they must obey.
We join Jesus when we pray in the power of the Holy Spirit and in Jesus' name. "For 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." (Mat 12:29) Jesus identifies that someone as the Spirit of God, the
Holy Spirit. We ask God to fill us with his Holy Spirit even as we pray in Jesus' name, that is, as his
representatives.
We join Jesus in his ministry to take back those the enemy has imprisoned, to gather those the enemy has
scattered. We do it by asking God to work by the power of his Holy Spirit and in Jesus' name. And when we do,
then our job is to trust Jesus to send the enemy packing.
J