The Stronger King and Undivided Heart
February 1 | Rick Thiemke
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Luke 11:14-12:12
Jesus and Beelzebul
14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Return of an Unclean Spirit
24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”
True Blessedness
27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
The Sign of Jonah
29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
The Light in You
33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”
Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers
37 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”
45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”
53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.
Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees
12 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
Have No Fear
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Acknowledge Christ Before Men
8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
As Luke’s Gospel unfolds, the tension around Jesus continues to intensify. What began as curiosity, turns into resistance and, what looks like admiration, often masks fear or self-protection. In our text, Jesus reveals not only His authority over darkness, but His deep concern for the inner lives of those who follow Him.
Luke shows us that knowing Jesus is not simply about recognizing His power. It is about allowing His presence to shape our hearts, expose what is hidden and form us into people of integrity, courage and trust.
Jesus Is the Stronger King Who Has Come to Set Us Free
When Jesus casts out a demon, the crowd marvels, but some immediately resist what they are witnessing. Rather than denying the miracle, they question its source. They accuse Jesus of operating by the power of Beelzebul (Luke 11:15).
Jesus responds by revealing something essential about Himself and about reality (Luke 11:17). A divided Kingdom cannot stand. Evil does not undo itself. What is happening here is not confusion, but confrontation.
Jesus is announcing that a stronger Kingdom has arrived. He is the One who binds the strong man, disarms false powers and brings real freedom. There is no neutral ground in this encounter. To encounter Jesus is to face a decision of allegiance (Luke 11:23).
Knowing Jesus means recognizing that He is not simply a moral teacher or a spiritual helper. He is the King who confronts false rulers and claims authority over our lives.
Jesus Is the Gentle Teacher
After confronting external opposition, Jesus turns His attention inward, especially toward His disciples. He warns them about the “leaven of the Pharisees,” which He names as hypocrisy (Luke 12:1).
Hypocrisy is subtle. Like leaven, it works quietly and slowly. It is not loud rebellion, but inner division. It is the danger of appearing faithful while remaining untransformed.
Jesus teaches that what is hidden will eventually be revealed (Luke 12:2–3). This is not meant to shame, but to invite wholeness. Jesus is not interested in polished appearances. He desires lives where the inner and outer self are in growing process of integrating and aligning (Psalm 51:6).
Yet Jesus does not leave His disciples fearful or exposed. Immediately after warning them, He tells them not to fear. Human power is limited. God’s care is not. The One who holds ultimate authority also knows every sparrow and numbers every hair (Luke 12:4–7).
Jesus forms disciples who fear God rightly and are, therefore, freed from lesser fears (Romans 8:15). When following Him becomes costly, public or pressured, He promises His presence through the Holy Spirit, who will give words, courage and wisdom in the moment they are needed (Luke 12:11–12).
Knowing Jesus means trusting Him, not only to save us, but to shape us. Life with Him is not about managing appearances. It is about living honestly before God, grounded in His care and empowered by His Spirit.
Jesus is strong enough to defeat what enslaves us. He is gentle enough to tell us the truth about ourselves. He is patient enough to form us over time. And He is present enough to promise His Spirit when obedience feels risky. To be with Jesus is to be freed, exposed and deeply cared for all at once.
Discussion Questions
Where do you sense Jesus inviting you to trust His authority, rather than resist or explain Him away?
In what ways can subtle hypocrisy or fear quietly shape our lives without us noticing?
How does Jesus’ combination of authority and care challenge the way you think about being with Him this week?