Friday of the Third Week of Holy Lent

The Gospel according to St. Luke (11:14-26)

    "And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled .But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters." When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

    On the mountain of temptation when the Lord Jesus destroyed the tempter and depraved him from his deadly weapons, He said to him “Away from me”... He sent him away and he went defeated and ashamed.

    The Gospel of today talks about how the Lord cast out the demon that had kept the man captive “So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke, and the multitudes marveled.” Christ came so He can release the captive, loosen the tied, and uplift the fallen. He came to save all who have been ruled over by the devil… And He taught us the path to cast out demons and defeat them through fasting and prayer.

    The devil is the torturer and killer of humans, but Christ is the Bestower of Life and Resurrection... The devil had tied up the woman who was bent over for 18 years so she couldn’t raise herself up until Christ had loosed her ties and healed her and said “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity”. And when He cast out the demon from the demon-possessed, blind and mute, the Book said that “the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.” (Matthew 12:22)

    There are clear signs when one is loosed from the ties of devils. The mouth speaks with marvels and pronounces praises and words of awakening and building towards the Glory of God, the eyes see after blindness and visualize with light the works of God and all His goodness and life straightens to its fullness.

    The prophecy of Isaiah about the time of Christ is of importance here “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened…Then the lame shall leap like a deer” (Isaiah 35:5,6)

    Where are the signs of salvation within us? And Where are we from the glorious freedom of the Children of God?

    Why the laziness, tarrying, and failure to do the works of God?

    Why the stinginess and scarcity as if our hearts are closed or our hands are tied?

    Why has love been limited and feelings petrified towards forgiveness?

    Why have tears been dried up and feelings of repentance dead?

    Why have disagreements increased and feelings of estrangement and hatred become easy?

    Has the devil returned to rule and devour, has he returned to his house that he has left and found it swept and put in order?

    Let us return to our Savior since without Him there can be no salvation… Let us fast and pray and cry out to Him “Save us”.

Fr. Louka Sidarous

(20/22)