"And He was casting out a demon and it was mute. And it happened when the demon came out that the mute spoke and the crowd marveled. But some of them said, 'In Beelzebub, the ruler of demons, He casts out demons.' And others testing Him began to seek a sign from heaven from Him." (St. Luke 11:14-28)
In the name of Jesus. Amen. We just rejoiced in the Introit of Oculi, "My eyes are ever on the Lord." Didn’t they see what Jesus had done? Hadn’t Jesus just done a sign from heaven? If casting out a demon isn’t a sign , then what is? Where on earth are their eyes? They certainly aren’t on Jesus! What are they looking at?
Original Sin, our inborn sin, is turned-inward sin. It’s not just being selfish or self-centered. We are self-centered and we are selfish. But it goes far deeper than that! Original Sin has us so turned inward upon ourselves that all we know, feel, and do is stained with our sins. We are so consumed with our own ideas that we could have the Son of God casting out demons before our eyes and still dismiss it. We’d have a better explanation, a better solution, and a better idea.
Their eyes were on themselves. Our eyes are on ourselves too! God has torn open the heavens and showered every blessing He can find upon us. The Small Catechism says that the Father has given us body and soul, eyes, ears, and all our members, our reason and all our senses, and still takes care of them today. He has given us clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all that we have. He showers us with more and more blessings and what do we do? We look around and say, "If we just had a bit more, that would really prove that God loves us." Is there really a difference between you and me and the unbelievers in our Gospel lesson?
My eyes are ever on the Lord for He shall pluck my feet out of the net! All eyes on Jesus in the week of Oculi! What do we see in today’s Gospel? Jesus uses the finger of God to cast out a demon. On Good Friday, the finger of God will be nailed to a cross. There, Jesus will rescue us from our sins, from death, even from the power of the devil.
Repent. Turn from your turned-inwardness. Today in the Divine Service, The kingdom of God comes to you in the Lord Supper. In the Sacrament, Jesus delivers you from the pit. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
"We beseech Thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of Thy humble servants and stretch forth the right hand of Thy majesty to be our defense against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen." (the Collect for Oculi)
Higher Things Reflections are written by Rev. George F. Borghardt III, Assistant Pastor at St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX