Luke 11:24-28

That instruction is so pertinent to the thing about the casting out of a demon. See, blessed more is somebody who hears the Word of God and keeps it, if we relate it right back to the parable of the unclean spirit, than somebody who has been cleaned up but that seems to be as far as they have gone with their Christianity.

This is really an interesting illustration. I think that one of the first conclusions that we can draw from it is that Jesus is saying that it is not good enough just to be clean. And so, we have been cleaned through the Word. We are going to see that a little later. But it is not good enough just to be clean.

We are going to look at some alternate translations from some other Bibles. The Living Bible says "clean and empty." The Amplified Bible says, "swept clean and decorated." The New American Standard Bible says, "clean and put in order." A commentary suggested, "unoccupied and ready to receive a new tenant." Here comes the key. I thought that was a very good comment that he felt it really should be paraphrased, "unoccupied and ready to receive a new tenant."

The Greek indicates, "the appearance of a person who may look good." And, of course, someone who had been swept clean would look good. They were ready for something. But what were they ready for?

People tend to make a vain show of trifling things. That is why Jesus corrected the woman who said, "blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts that nursed You." Well, fine. But Jesus is saying in effect, without really putting the lady down, "What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?" Because His mother, who undoubtedly was blessed by God by bearing Him and suckling Him, what if she ended up in hell? She is a free moral agent. She can do with her life what she wants—even though she was an instrument used by God. She is a free moral agent. That is why Jesus said, "Yes, that is fine, BUT blessed is that person who hears the word of God and keeps it."

Luke 11:24-26

That is a very interesting illustration that Jesus used here. Overall, the teaching of it is that it is not enough just to be clean. You will probably recall from I Corinthians 5:6-8, that we are given a charge from the apostle Paul to "purge out the old leaven." It also says in exactly the same verse that, "you are unleavened." Now is that a contradiction? How can a person be unleavened and have the responsibility of getting leaven out all at the same time?

The answer to that is that there is no contradiction. The line that has to do with being unleavened, by God, is telling us that we have been put into a state of being unleavened by God, but the reality is, the practical aspect of it is, that leavening actually remains in our lives. We are unleavened as a result of a legal maneuver, manipulation that God performs on His part in considering us without any leaven because we have been cleaned up. We have been forgiven. But the practical reality of it is, sin remains within us and sin has to be battled, sin has to be overcome, sin has to be gotten rid of. So there is no contradiction there. The Days of Unleavened Bread are teaching us that it is not enough to be clean; there is much yet that remains to be done.

The Living Bible says in regard to those same verses, "clean and empty." The Amplified Bible says that this person is, "swept clean and decorated," a measure of embellishment. The New American Standard says, "clean and put in order." A commentator suggested on this verse that it means "unoccupied and ready to receive a new tenant." That one is kind of interesting. The Greek indicates an appearance of an idle person who may look good.