1st Passiontide 2007, See Clearly

First Passiontide

Luke 11: 14-35

Jesus was driving out a demon from a man who was mute. And it came to pass that as the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. However, some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” Others sought to test him by asking for a sign from heaven as proof of his spiritual power.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be desolated, and house will fall against house. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? And you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub? Now if I were to drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers do it? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

           

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, it follows that the kingdom of God has already come to you.

           

When a strong man in full armor guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, the victor takes away the armor in which the man had trusted, and divides it up as spoils.

He who does not unite with my being is against me; and he who does not gather in inner composure with me [work for inner composure with me] scatters.

When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it wanders through waterless places seeking a place to rest; and if it cannot find it, it says, ‘I will return to the dwelling out of which I have come.” When it returns to this dwelling it finds it cleaned and adorned. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself and enters and dwells in that man. And his final state is worse than the first.”

As he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the mother who bore you and nursed you.”

But he said, “Truly blessed are those who hear the divine word in their hearts and tend it there.”

And as the crowds increased, Jesus began to speak. “The men of this generation are strangers to their true being. They look for signs and outer proofs of the spirit, but none other will be given to them but the sign of Jonah. For just as once Jonah shared the experience of the spirit with the inhabitants of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man share the experience of the spirit with this present generation. The Queen of the South will rise in the time of great crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and judge them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But know this: here is more than Solomon.

The inhabitants of Nineveh will rise up in the days of crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and will pronounce judgment over them. For they changed their ways after the proclamation of Jonah. But know this; here is more than Jonah.

No one lights a light and then puts it in a hidden place or under a vessel, but rather sets it on a lamp stand, so that all may see the light shining.

The light of your body is your eye. When your eye looks at the world clearly and impartially, the processes of your whole body will be inwardly filled with light. If however the eye’s desire sees the world separated from the spirit, darkness will pour itself into you.

Protect yourself that the light does not become darkness in you.

If your body is now filled with light, so that it no longer takes part in darkness, everything will be completely illuminated, so that, with lightning brightness, the light irradiates you completely from within.

March 11, 2007

Luke 11: 14-35

Today we see the vestment and altar in black. They are the picture for our soul spiritual state this time of the year. Black is a color that seems to absorb all the light. Therein lies its fearsome power, but also its redemption. If enough light is absorbed, black begins to shine.

A few weeks ago we heard the story of Christ’s temptation by the adversary. At the very beginning of his ministry, through His connection with His Father’s light, life and love, He drove the forces of darkness out of Jesus’ soul and body. After that, the Jesus’ transfiguration could occur. He shone like the sun, suffused with the light of eternal life.

Today, in our time, this Christ-process of cleansing and enlightenment would continue working, now, in us. How would this happen? With our active participation. Christ says, “When your eye looks at the world clearly and impartially, the processes of your whole body will be inwardly filled with light. If however the eye’s desire sees the world separated from the spirit, darkness will pour itself into you.” Luke 11: 34

Training ourselves to see the world clearly and impartially, without our own wishes, desires and needs bending or clouding our perceptions, is a first step. Seeing clearly helps us to conquer the temptations of the adversary within our soul. This soul cleansing must be done repeatedly, for the tempter will always try to return. But to the extent that we can do this, the Light of the World can enter into us, right down into our physical nature. Eventually, though it may take a lifetime, we will become completely illuminated, completely irradiated with His light from within. Then will we be prepared for the path of Jonah: after the blackness of a time of suffering, our will aligns itself in love with the will of the spirit whose very Being is Love. The black turns into the red and green of Resurrection.

1st Passiontide 2008, Compassion of the Creator

First Passiontide

Luke 11: 14-35

Jesus was driving out a demon from a man who was mute. And it came to pass that as the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. However, some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” Others sought to test him by asking for a sign from heaven as proof of his spiritual power.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be desolated, and house will fall against house. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? And you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub? Now if I were to drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers do it? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

           

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, it follows that the kingdom of God has already come to you.

           

When a strong man in full armor guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, the victor takes away the armor in which the man had trusted, and divides it up as spoils.

He who does not unite with my being is against me; and he who does not gather in inner composure with me [work for inner composure with me] scatters.

When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it wanders through waterless places seeking a place to rest; and if it cannot find it, it says, ‘I will return to the dwelling out of which I have come.” When it returns to this dwelling it finds it cleaned and adorned. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself and enters and dwells in that man. And his final state is worse than the first.”

As he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the mother who bore you and nursed you.”

But he said, “Truly blessed are those who hear the divine word in their hearts and tend it there.”

And as the crowds increased, Jesus began to speak. “The men of this generation

Nikolaus Knupfer

are strangers to their true being. They look for signs and outer proofs of the spirit, but none other will be given to them but the sign of Jonah. For just as once Jonah shared the experience of the spirit with the inhabitants of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man share the experience of the spirit with this present generation. The Queen of the South will rise in the time of great crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and judge them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But know this: here is more than Solomon.

The inhabitants of Nineveh will rise up in the days of crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and will pronounce judgment over them. For they changed their ways after the proclamation of Jonah. But know this; here is more than Jonah.

No one lights a light and then puts it in a hidden place or under a vessel, but rather sets it on a lamp stand, so that all may see the light shining.

The light of your body is your eye. When your eye looks at the world clearly and impartially, the processes of your whole body will be inwardly filled with light. If however the eye’s desire sees the world separated from the spirit, darkness will pour itself into you.

Protect yourself that the light does not become darkness in you.

If your body is now filled with light, so that it no longer takes part in darkness, everything will be completely illuminated, so that, with lightning brightness, the light irradiates you completely from within.

1^st Passiontide Sunday

February 24, 2008

Luke 11: 14-25

On a cloudy day, the shadows things cast are barely noticeable. But when the sun shines brightly, ironically the shadows gain more substance, and deepen toward black.

Although days are lengthening, and the welcome outer light is growing, inwardly we may be feeling more than usually tired and at the same time, restless. It is as though an exhausting battle is going on just below the level of our consciousness.

As today’s gospel reading indicates, there is indeed a battle going on, a battle for the possession of the human body and soul. The gospel speaks of demons who throttle the human creative capacity of speech; of demons who, when ousted, are apt to return with reinforcements.

The adversarial forces are busy, particularly at this time of the year,

Blake

trying to set up their own kingdom, independent of the kingdom of the heavens. And if they can gain possession of the magnificent and strategic castle of the human body, they acquire the potential to perform enormous evil.

Christ Himself warns us of the battle going on behind our conscious awareness. He warns us to maintain self-possession of body and soul, to remain at home within, centered in body and soul, so that the light of our spirit illuminates the whole. The great danger is that we let down our guard, through distraction or unconsciousness.

No wonder we are tired and restless. And as we enter Passiontide, we feel weak as well. For there is only so much we can do by ourselves. We need to invite Another into our abode, the One who will stand by us and fight alongside us, adding His strength to ours. When called upon, He will come.

As Isaac of Nineveh said,

Just as the strength of a flowing spring

is not hindered by a handful of earth,

so the compassion of the Creator is not daunted

by the wickedness of His creatures.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

---

[1] St. Isaac of Nineveh, († 700 A.D.) “The Measure of His Mercy,” in Love’s Immensity: Mystics on the Endless Life, Scott Cairns, p. 75.

1st Passiontide 2009, Holy of Holies

First Passiontide

Luke 11: 14-35

Jesus was driving out a demon from a man who was mute. And it came to pass that as the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. However, some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” Others sought to test him by asking for a sign from heaven as proof of his spiritual power.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be desolated, and house will fall against house. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? And you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub? Now if I were to drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers do it? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

           

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, it follows that the kingdom of God has already come to you.

           

When a strong man in full armor guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, the victor takes away the armor in which the man had trusted, and divides it up as spoils.

He who does not unite with my being is against me; and he who does not gather in inner composure with me [work for inner composure with me] scatters.

When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it wanders through waterless places seeking a place to rest; and if it cannot find it, it says, ‘I will return to the dwelling out of which I have come.” When it returns to this dwelling it finds it cleaned and adorned. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself and enters and dwells in that man. And his final state is worse than the first.”

As he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the mother who bore you and nursed you.”

But he said, “Truly blessed are those who hear the divine word in their hearts and tend it there.”

Jacob Willemsz de Wett

And as the crowds increased, Jesus began to speak. “The men of this generation are strangers to their true being. They look for signs and outer proofs of the spirit, but none other will be given to them but the sign of Jonah. For just as once Jonah shared the experience of the spirit with the inhabitants of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man share the experience of the spirit with this present generation. The Queen of the South will rise in the time of great crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and judge them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But know this: here is more than Solomon.

The inhabitants of Nineveh will rise up in the days of crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and will pronounce judgment over them. For they changed their ways after the proclamation of Jonah. But know this; here is more than Jonah.

No one lights a light and then puts it in a hidden place or under a vessel, but rather sets it on a lamp stand, so that all may see the light shining.

The light of your body is your eye. When your eye looks at the world clearly and impartially, the processes of your whole body will be inwardly filled with light. If however the eye’s desire sees the world separated from the spirit, darkness will pour itself into you.

Protect yourself that the light does not become darkness in you.

If your body is now filled with light, so that it no longer takes part in darkness, everything will be completely illuminated, so that, with lightning brightness, the light irradiates you completely from within.

Rosenkrantz

1^st Passiontide

March 15, 2009

Luke 11: 14-35

We all have a home, a space we live in. We may share it with others. We may also invite guests for a visit. But it would be a strange situation if at the end of the visit the guest announced that he or she was planning to take up permanent residence and refused to leave. For we know that it should be our own choice whom we live with.

Our body is also a kind of home, the home for our spirit. The deaf-mute’s spirit evidently suffered from one of those permanent guests who had decided to make his body its dwelling place. It had even succeeded in binding and gagging him. The Gospel identifies this “guest” as a demon. And Christ describes the nature of such beings: they need a human body in which to dwell; they are able to gain entrance if someone is not strong enough to protect himself. And even if one succeeds in ejecting the demon, it won’t give up; it will return— with reinforcements if necessary.

For demons feed off of what the human being has inside—the precious light of human thoughts, the warmth of human feeling. Christ goes on to proclaim what it is that protects us from being invaded: the wisdom that acknowledges the existence of the Son of Man, and the willingness to do the work necessary to invite Him in as guest, to furnish Him a dwelling place in our inmost heart.

The poet says:

Rosenkrantz

Pause with us here a while.

Put your ear to the wall of your heart.

Listen for the whisper of knowing there.

Love will touch you if you are very still. …

If you had a temple in the secret spaces of your heart,

What would you worship there?

What would you bring to sacrifice?

What would be behind the curtain in the holy of holies?

Go there now.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

---

[1] Tom Barrett, “What’s in the Temple?” in Keeping in Touch

1st Passiontide 2010, Working from the Core

First Passiontide

Luke 11: 14-35

Jesus was driving out a demon from a man who was mute. And it came to pass that as the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. However, some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” Others sought to test him by asking for a sign from heaven as proof of his spiritual power.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be desolated, and house will fall against house. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? And you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub? Now if I were to drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers do it? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

           

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, it follows that the kingdom of God has already come to you.

           

When a strong man in full armor guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, the victor takes away the armor in which the man had trusted, and divides it up as spoils.

He who does not unite with my being is against me; and he who does not gather in inner composure with me [work for inner composure with me] scatters.

When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it wanders through waterless places seeking a place to rest; and if it cannot find it, it says, ‘I will return to the dwelling out of which I have come.” When it returns to this dwelling it finds it cleaned and adorned. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself and enters and dwells in that man. And his final state is worse than the first.”

As he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the mother who bore you and nursed you.”

But he said, “Truly blessed are those who hear the divine word in their hearts and tend it there.”

And as the crowds increased, Jesus began to speak. “The men of this generation are strangers to their true being. They look for signs and outer proofs of the spirit, but none other will be given to them but the sign of Jonah. For just as once Jonah shared the experience of the spirit with the inhabitants of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man share the experience of the spirit with this present generation. The Queen of the South will rise in the time of great crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and judge them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But know this: here is more than Solomon.

The inhabitants of Nineveh will rise up in the days of crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and will pronounce judgment over them. For they changed their ways after the proclamation of Jonah. But know this; here is more than Jonah.

No one lights a light and then puts it in a hidden place or under a vessel, but rather sets it on a lamp stand, so that all may see the light shining.

The light of your body is your eye. When your eye looks at the world clearly and impartially, the processes of your whole body will be inwardly filled with light. If however the eye’s desire sees the world separated from the spirit, darkness will pour itself into you.

Protect yourself that the light does not become darkness in you.

If your body is now filled with light, so that it no longer takes part in darkness, everything will be completely illuminated, so that, with lightning brightness, the light irradiates you completely from within.

1^st Passiontide

March 7, 2010

Luke 11, 14 -35

  

One of the abilities of a healthy self is to be able to set an intention and over time to stick to with it; the capacity to apply small but consistent efforts, over and over; placing one foot steadily in front of the other along a path, moving toward the goal. Such a capacity to work faithfully and incrementally builds up inner strength and flexibility for change.

In today’s reading, Christ shines a light on the importance of consistent and ongoing effort, out of one’s own composed core. For He has come to strengthen the human spiritual core of the human self. “The human beings of this generation are strangers to their true being…they look for outer signs….” He says. But our true being lies deep in our heart’s core. This capacity to work faithfully is intimately connected to our ability to find our true being. It is connected with our ability to move inwardly, change ourselves inwardly, and to maintain an inner presence—not to self-vacate. In the words of John O’Donohue,

…it seems that a little below your heart

Iris Sullivan

There houses in you an unknown self….

It is a self that enjoys contemplative patience

With all your unfolding expression….

It has the dignity of the angelic

That knows you to your roots,

Always awaiting your deeper befriending

To take you beyond the threshold of want,

Where all your diverse strainings

Can come to wholesome ease.[1]

This working from the core, and the strength to do so, comes from our uniting with Christ. He lives within our life, in our heart’s deepest core. He is the patient unknown self. When we find our true being, we will see--Him.

---

[1] John O’Donohue, “For the Unknown Self”, in To Bless the Space Between Us, p. 144.

1st Passiontide 2011, Globe of Light

First Passiontide

Rembrandt

Luke 11: 14-35

Jesus was driving out a demon from a man who was mute. And it came to pass that as the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. However, some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” Others sought to test him by asking for a sign from heaven as proof of his spiritual power.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be desolated, and house will fall against house. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? And you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub? Now if I were to drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers do it? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

           

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, it follows that the kingdom of God has already come to you.

           

When a strong man in full armor guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, the victor takes away the armor in which the man had trusted, and divides it up as spoils.

He who does not unite with my being is against me; and he who does not gather in inner composure with me [work for inner composure with me] scatters.

When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it wanders through waterless places seeking a place to rest; and if it cannot find it, it says, ‘I will return to the dwelling out of which I have come.” When it returns to this dwelling it finds it cleaned and adorned. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself and enters and dwells in that man. And his final state is worse than the first.”

As he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the mother who bore you and nursed you.”

But he said, “Truly blessed are those who hear the divine word in their hearts and tend it there.”

And as the crowds increased, Jesus began to speak. “The men of this generation are strangers to their true being. They look for signs and outer proofs of the spirit, but none other will be given to them but the sign of Jonah. For just as once Jonah shared the experience of the spirit with the inhabitants of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man share the experience of the spirit with this present generation. The Queen of the South will rise in the time of great crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and judge them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But know this: here is more than Solomon.

The inhabitants of Nineveh will rise up in the days of crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and will pronounce judgment over them. For they changed their ways after the proclamation of Jonah. But know this; here is more than Jonah.

No one lights a light and then puts it in a hidden place or under a vessel, but rather sets it on a lamp stand, so that all may see the light shining.

The light of your body is your eye. When your eye looks at the world clearly and impartially, the processes of your whole body will be inwardly filled with light. If however the eye’s desire sees the world separated from the spirit, darkness will pour itself into you.

Protect yourself that the light does not become darkness in you.

If your body is now filled with light, so that it no longer takes part in darkness, everything will be completely illuminated, so that, with lightning brightness, the light irradiates you completely from within.

1^st Passiontide

March 27, 2011

Luke 11: 14-35

As is well-known, every coin has two sides. And there is very little in the middle. A sphere, however, has an infinity of sides and a maximum depth.

There is one side of our human nature that longs for wild enthusiasm, that longs to escape ourselves in ecstasy. And another side that sneers in critical derision, tying us down in unbelief. These are the two sides of the coin of our nature.

Christ, however, encourages us to expand our depth. He encourages us to develop more flexibility in our thinking, more than our natural default settings of either/or, black or white.

In the reading, He uses ordinary logic and common sense to refute those who would put him on either side of the good/bad coin. He widens the scope of thinking. And his parables of the strong man guarding his palace, and of the one who removes evil spirits from his house, are a warning to us. He encourages us to remain in the middle, to be present in the ‘house’ of our own being, our own bodies. We are to use our capacity of thought to neither escape ourselves nor to be bound in hopelessness. We are to become like spheres, expanding our points of view, developing thoughtful depth. From this place in the center of our humanity, we can connect with Christ. He is the Light of the World in the depths. And then, in uniting with Him, our whole being can ignite. We will become a globe of light in the worlds we occupy.

In the words of John O’Donohue:

May the light of your soul bless the work

You do with the secret love and warmth of your heart.

May the sacredness of your work bring light and renewal

to those who work with you….[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

---

[1] John O’Donohue, “For Work ”, in To Bless the Space between Us, p. 146.

1st Passiontide 2012, Strong in Ourselves

First Passiontide

Luke 11: 14-35

Jesus was driving out a demon from a man who was mute. And it came to pass that as the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. However, some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” Others sought to test him by asking for a sign from heaven as proof of his spiritual power.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be desolated, and house will fall against house. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? And you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub? Now if I were to drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers do it? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

           

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, it follows that the kingdom of God has already come to you.

           

When a strong man in full armor guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, the victor takes away the armor in which the man had trusted, and divides it up as spoils.

He who does not unite with my being is against me; and he who does not gather in inner composure with me [work for inner composure with me] scatters.

When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it wanders through waterless places seeking a place to rest; and if it cannot find it, it says, ‘I will return to the dwelling out of which I have come.” When it returns to this dwelling it finds it cleaned and adorned. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself and enters and dwells in that man. And his final state is worse than the first.”

As he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the mother who bore you and nursed you.”

But he said, “Truly blessed are those who hear the divine word in their hearts and tend it there.”

And as the crowds increased, Jesus began to speak. “The men of this generation are strangers to their true being. They look for signs and outer proofs of the spirit, but none other will be given to them but the sign of Jonah. For just as once Jonah shared the experience of the spirit with the inhabitants of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man share the experience of the spirit with this present generation. The Queen of the South will rise in the time of great crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and judge them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But know this: here is more than Solomon.

 

The inhabitants of Nineveh will rise up in the days of crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and will pronounce judgment over them. For they changed their ways after the proclamation of Jonah. But know this; here is more than Jonah.

No one lights a light and then puts it in a hidden place or under a vessel, but rather sets it on a lamp stand, so that all may see the light shining.

The light of your body is your eye. When your eye looks at the world clearly and impartially, the processes of your whole body will be inwardly filled with light. If however the eye’s desire sees the world separated from the spirit, darkness will pour itself into you.

Protect yourself that the light does not become darkness in you.

If your body is now filled with light, so that it no longer takes part in darkness, everything will be completely illuminated, so that, with lightning brightness, the light irradiates you completely from within.

1^st Passiontide

Giusto de' Menabuoi

March 11, 2012

Luke 11:14-35

One of the signatures of the recent months has been the Occupy movement. The idea is that people need to take ownership and responsibility for the institutions that serve them. The idea of ‘occupy’ has also spread into other areas—from occupy local government to 'occupy the future' to ‘occupy your life’. 

Today’s reading is about occupying our own lives, our own souls, our own bodies. We can either gather our forces and energies, compose ourselves; or those forces are sucked into the abyss and become the spoils of the adversary. We are to become strong in ourselves.

It is Christ who helps us to create the inner composure, to ‘be here now’, to do what we are doing, to pay attention. He is the great I AM. I AM Bread, I AM the true Vine. He nourishes and strengthens our souls and spirits. He is the Way and the Truth of how we occupy our lives. 

www.thechristiancommunity.org

1st Passiontide 2014, Oceans We Contain

First Passiontide

Luke 11: 14-35

Jesus was driving out a demon from a man who was mute. And it came to pass that as the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. However, some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” Others sought to test him by asking for a sign from heaven as proof of his spiritual power.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be desolated, and house will fall against house. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? And you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub? Now if I were to drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers do it? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

           

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, it follows that the kingdom of God has already come to you.

           

When a strong man in full armor guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, the victor takes away the armor in which the man had trusted, and divides it up as spoils.

He who does not unite with my being is against me; and he who does not gather in inner composure with me [work for inner composure with me] scatters.

When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it wanders through waterless places seeking a place to rest; and if it cannot find it, it says, ‘I will return to the dwelling out of which I have come.” When it returns to this dwelling it finds it cleaned and adorned. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself and enters and dwells in that man. And his final state is worse than the first.”

As he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the mother who bore you and nursed you.”

But he said, “Truly blessed are those who hear the divine word in their hearts and tend it there.”

He Qi

And as the crowds increased, Jesus began to speak. “The men of this generation are strangers to their true being. They look for signs and outer proofs of the spirit, but none other will be given to them but the sign of Jonah. For just as once Jonah shared the experience of the spirit with the inhabitants of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man share the experience of the spirit with this present generation. The Queen of the South will rise in the time of great crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and judge them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But know this: here is more than Solomon.

The inhabitants of Nineveh will rise up in the days of crisis and decision against the men of this present generation and will pronounce judgment over them. For they changed their ways after the proclamation of Jonah. But know this; here is more than Jonah.

No one lights a light and then puts it in a hidden place or under a vessel, but rather sets it on a lamp stand, so that all may see the light shining.

The light of your body is your eye. When your eye looks at the world clearly and impartially, the processes of your whole body will be inwardly filled with light. If however the eye’s desire sees the world separated from the spirit, darkness will pour itself into you.

Protect yourself that the light does not become darkness in you.

If your body is now filled with light, so that it no longer takes part in darkness, everything will be completely illuminated, so that, with lightning brightness, the light irradiates you completely from within.

1^st Passiontide

March 23, 2014

Luke 11: 14 – 35

Dig a hole deep enough and eventually you will find water. On the beach near the tideline, the hole fills immediately. Further inland you have to dig deeper.  If you want to use the water, you have to keep the hole clear of debris, and keep drawing the water up.

In today’s reading Jesus removes a spirit that prevents a man from speaking. The capacities of thought and speech are some of the hallmarks of our being human. The adversarial spirit is hindering the man from the expression of his full humanity. It is Christ who removes this hindrance.  One can imagine the event in the words of the poet:

At the spring

we hear the great seas traveling

underground,

giving themselves up

with tongue of water

that sing the earth open.

 …

We have stories

as old as the great seas

breaking through the chest,

flying out the mouth,

noisy tongues that once were silenced,

all the oceans we contain

coming to light.[1]

But driving out a hindering spirit leaves a hole, a space in the human constitution. And Christ makes it clear that just being rid of the spirit is only a first step. What will be drawn into the now empty space?

Christ removes the opposing spirit in order to make a space for our true self, who is Himself. Yet he does not impose Himself. He waits to be invited. He waits for us to turn, to change whatever it is in us that allowed the adversary entrance in the first place. He waits for the inner lamp to be lit. He waits for us to open.  

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[1] Linda Hogan, “To Light” in Seeing Through the Sun