Living in the Spirit

July 24, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 11:14-23

Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.’ Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? —for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

I am not a literalist, but I must say I was a little unnerved when I read from the scripture today that Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. Oklahoma is suffering from major drought and deadly heat, as is much of the world. Farmers are hunting for hay to feed their cattle over the winter. Wildfires are burning the grass further reducing the production of hay. Just a few weeks ago I saw flooding on TV from Montana to Tennessee watching houses being lifted off their foundations and floating down out-of-control rivers of water. While climate change is destroying living space, our elected leaders are devoting their time to concerns about what restrooms people should be allowed to use and whether our children have the mental stamina to handle studying history. The problem they cannot seem to figure out is how to provide for the common good while assuring that the rich continue getting richer not recognizing that the common good is the foundation of financial stability. Greed is like the Kudzu plant, nicknamed “the vine that ate the South”, it eats everything around it until nothing is left and it dies.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Jesus came to bring us the fullness of life where indeed everyone has enough of the necessities of life, but all have the opportunity to experience the fullness of life.

Prayer: Lord, help us provide for the Common Good as a part of our supporting the fullness of life for everyone. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.