He was driving out a demon [that was] mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute person spoke and the crowds were amazed. 15 Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” 16 Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. 17 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. 18 And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. 19 If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that [I] drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. 22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Jesus drives out a demon that had made a man unable to speak. When the demon leaves, the man speaks and the crowd is amazed (v. 14). The miracle itself is not questioned. Instead, some people try to explain it away. They claim that Jesus casts out demons “by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons” (v. 15). Others demand an additional sign from heaven (v. 16).
Jesus responds by exposing the flaw in their accusation. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand (v. 17). If Satan were empowering someone to drive out his own demons, his kingdom would collapse. Jesus then presses the point further: if His opponents believe that He drives out demons by demonic power, then they must explain how their own people drive them out (v. 19). Their accusation contradicts their own experience.
Jesus then reveals the true meaning of what they are witnessing: “But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (v. 20). The expression “finger of God” recalls the moment in the Exodus when Pharaoh’s magicians recognized that the plagues came from God’s power (Ex. 8:15). In the same way, Jesus’ works reveal that God’s saving power is now present in His ministry. What God once did to free Israel from slavery is now being continued through Christ as He frees people from the power of evil.
Jesus then explains this with a vivid image. A strong man guards his palace and his possessions remain secure (v. 21). But when someone stronger comes, overcomes him, and takes away his armor, the possessions are carried off (v. 22). In this image the strong man represents Satan and his dominion over humanity. Jesus is the stronger one who attacks and defeats him. His exorcisms are not isolated miracles; they are signs that the power of Satan is being broken and that the kingdom of God is advancing.
The passage ends with a clear conclusion: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (v. 23). Jesus does not allow a neutral position. His works force a decision. People must either recognize the power of God at work in Him or reject it.
This reading is especially fitting during Lent. The season of Lent calls believers to examine their hearts and to turn again toward God. Just as the people in the Gospel had to decide how they would respond to Jesus, Lent invites us to decide again whether we will follow Him with our whole heart (Mt. 22:37; Deut. 6:5). The works of Christ show that God’s kingdom is already at work in the world, breaking the power of evil and calling us to live under His rule.
Lord Jesus Christ, you came into the world to defeat the power of evil and to bring the kingdom of God among us. Strengthen our faith so that we may recognize your power at work in our lives. Help us to stand with you, to follow your word, and to remain faithful to you always. Amen.
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Sources and References
- New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), Lk. 11:14-23 and notes.
- Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010), p. 130.
- José María Casciaro et al., The Navarre Bible: St. Luke’s Gospel (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2005), p. 298.
- Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990), p. 703, para. 130.
- Donald Senior et al., eds., The Paulist Biblical Commentary (New York: Paulist Press, 2018), pp. 1068-1069.
- John J. Collins et al., eds., The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century (London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2022), pp. 1327-1328.
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