Luke 11:14-20  ¹⁴ Now he (Jesus) 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. ¹⁵  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons." ¹⁶  Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. ¹⁸ If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? -- for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹  Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists1 cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰  But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

The upcoming 40 days of Lent remind us of all the times that Jesus has overcome the devil. We are reminded of the 40 days that Jesus spent being tempted in the wilderness. We are reminded of the sacrifices that he underwent. We are also reminded that because Christ has defeated Satan, we too can defeat the devil.

In 1534, Martin Luther preached at the Castle Church on the third Sunday in Lent. The Gospel Text used was Luke 11:14-28, part of which is above. Below is what Dr. Luther had to say in his opening remarks:

“As you have heard, today’s Gospel treats of the casting out of a devil and, like last Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 15:21-28), teaches how people today are able by contrition, repentance, and confession of sins to drive Satan out. It is a timely message always, today or tomorrow, all through the church year, as it portrays our dear Lord Christ’s work, not only then, but also until the world’s end, as long as his kingdom remains on the earth. It is written and to be preached for our sakes, therefore, so that we might learn from it and be comforted. We need to know that Christ’s work of driving out the devil never ceases but continues to go on in the Christian world until the Last Day.” (Pull me aside one day, and I will tell you what Martin Luther really thought of the devil! I don’t think I can publish that in my devotion.)

As we approach the season of Lent, we set forth a mindset of repentance, asking God for forgiveness of our sins. This coming Wednesday we will confess our sins, but we will not receive absolution for them until Lent is over. Confessing our sins carries on Christ’s work of driving out the devil. During Lent, I am offering private confession and forgiveness. If you would like to make an appointment, please let me know. Confession was very important to Martin Luther, and is still an important part of our worship today. If you are still looking for something to “add” during Lent, might I suggest private confession? It is a very holy and grace filled moment and something I think each of us should experience.

In our prayers this week: Mike, Lori, Jane, Norm, Lee, Fairy, Alma, Buddy, Ann, Marian and Nelly (and their grandchild having surgery this week), Linwood, Gail, Carol and Sanford.

God's Peace,

 Pastor Judson