JESUS AND BEELZEBUB IN LUKE 11.14-23 (Part 1)

Once upon a time in a far away land, the news was spread that a young inexperience prince from unknown kingdom had defeated one of the most powerful czars from a very strong kingdom of the time. The crowd, especially young ladies and hundreds of princesses were amazed and marveled upon hearing the news.  

The majority of the crowd however was asking for signs to validate the news. Was that inexperience prince really the one who defeated that great and powerful Czar? They cried aloud, ‘Show us the evidences! Do DNA tests for us!’

Still there were some critical individuals who said, ‘It is impossible! The news must be fake!’ ‘The Czar is too strong for that young and inexperienced prince.  A stronger warrior from a neighboring kingdom must be the one who conquered the battle and killed the Czar.’

In Luke 11.14-23, Jesus is figured out like the young prince in my story above. Jesus was casting out a demon from someone who was mute. Once the demon had gone out, the mute spoke. The crowd saw what had happened with their own eyes. Some of them were amazed and marveled (v.14) for what Jesus had done. Some others asked for heavenly signs (v.16). And still some critical people did not believe that Jesus was the one who casted away the demon from the mute, instead they pointed to Beelzebub (the leader of the demons), as the one who was responsible for the exorcism (v.15).

If readers of this blog were alive in the time of Jesus and given the opportunity to witness the miracles of Jesus (including the exorcism), how would they have responded? Which response is the most appropriate and Christian?

To those who disbelieved in the power Jesus, and preferred to see Beelzebub as the exorcist, Jesus responded the criticism in Luke 11.17-26. To those who were amazed and marveled at what had been done by the lord, Jesus addressed the issue in Luke 11.27-28. And to those who requested heavenly signs, Jesus straight forwardly answered in Luke 11.29-32.

Luke 11.14-32 shows that none of the responses is correct. Even to the crowd who were amazed and marveled at him, Jesus simply said, ‘WRONG ADDRESS!’ (My reading of Luke 11.27-28). It is like someone who upon enjoying a cup of Starbucks Frappucino says, ‘Wow…. This is the best ice lemon tea I have ever drunk!’

This post judges nothing, but invites readers (1) to read the text carefully, (2) to think what the appropriate responses upon witnessing the miracles of Jesus are, and (3) to answer the question of ‘Why do we often pray for God’s miracles in our life?’