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DAVID'S EMAIL BIBLE STUDY:
Devils and Demons
A.
BACKGROUND... today Christianity has 2.4 billion followers; 1/3 of the world professes some level of Christian faith. People-wise, property-wise, history-wise we are big. "Big trees from little acorns grow," and Christianity is no exception. We come from humble beginnings. Jesus was a nobody from nowhere with nothing. Little by little, day by day, his message took hold in people's lives. There was a supernatural aspect to him, and a practical aspect. He had authority over demons, healed the sick and spoke in a way that resonated in daily life. First, people came to him for help, or out of curiosity. But some chose to follow him.
C. SUMMARY:
At the end of Luke 4 Jesus twice is challenged by people possessed by demons. In each instance the demons recognize Jesus as their main adversary, calling him "Son of God" and "Holy One of God". Each time Jesus calls the demons off the person, restoring them to health. He also provides physical healing for the sick. More and more people are "amazed at his teaching" and "authority" (vs 32-35). In Luke 5 Jesus borrows a boat from Simon Peter to use as a platform from which to preach to growing crowds. Later, he urges Peter and other fishermen to go further out and fish, despite a poor catch the night before. When they do they catch a huge amount. Jesus then invites the fishermen to join him and become "fishers of men."
1. Demons. Devils. Satan. Evil. What do we make of it in 2017? We are only in Luke 5 and Jesus has already dealt with evil personified as Satan, tempting him in the wilderness AND with individual demons that took control of everyday people. In his world in his time all this was very real. From our perspective we can say these things with the hindsight of modern medicine and progress in mental health. Some things attributed to demons were physical illnesses that manifested in ways that made people think they were "possessed". Epilepsy, stroke, palsies. Some are mental illnesses. In both instances it seems like a "normal" person has been taken over by some outside, malevolent force. Today we are able to see the true cause behind most behaviors, and most can be treated. But there are events in even today's world that defy any logical, rational explanation. Whether we personalize it as Devil or demons, or generalize it as evil, we are up against acts that defy our best efforts. Last week's front page of the NY Daily News was the photo of the terrorist who killed 8 in Manhattan, with the single word: DEVIL. We are "bedeviled" by many things we cannot comprehend. The lesson from Jesus' life is that he did not shy away from confronting evil in whatever form. What is not acceptable is doing nothing, turning away, or doing the ostrich thing.
2. "FISHERS of MEN" is one of the most popular, old-time phrases for evangelism. When Jesus invited Simon Peter and three others to join him he was initiating DISCIPLESHIP and EVANGELISM. Discipleship is the art of following, the decision to attach your life and will to someone else, i.e., Jesus. Peter and friends were about to find out it is not easy. Giving up control, aligning your will, and thinking with someone else, is tough. Just the idea of following, obeying, goes against our grain. And discipleship is kin to discipline, another uncomfortable word. Yet the rewards and joy of finding something/someone worth committing to are unparalleled. Evangelism follows from discipleship. Once you've found something/someone to give yourself to, you want others to have the same opportunity. What is FACEBOOK but one giant platform for evangelism?! People "share" with their "friends", trying to get more "likes". Evangelism and Discipleship.
Jesus needs us to change the world. If you believe the world needs changing, you look for ways and ideas and people that can lead to such change. To do it requires commitment on our end (discipleship) and getting others on board (evangelism). My editorial comment? Can we please do this faster, because the Devil seems to be working overtime.
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