Daily Readings - Fri Oct 12 2018
Galatians
6Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."7Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.8The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."9So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.10All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."11Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."12The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them."13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."14He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Luke
15But some of them said, "By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons."16Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.17Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.18If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub.19Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.20But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.21"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.22But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.23"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.24"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.'25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound truths about faith, grace, and the spiritual battle that defines our lives as followers of Christ. The first reading from Galatians reminds us that faith, not works of the law, is the foundation of our relationship with God. Abraham, the father of faith, trusted in God’s promise, and this trust was reckoned to him as righteousness. Paul emphasizes that we, too, are children of Abraham by faith, and through Christ, we inherit the blessings promised to Abraham. The law, while good, cannot justify us because it is not based on faith. Christ, however, has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, so that we might receive the Spirit and live by faith.
The Gospel from Luke presents a complementary yet challenging message. Jesus, in response to accusations that He casts out demons by the power of Beelzebub, teaches us about the nature of God’s kingdom and the reality of spiritual warfare. He warns that a house divided against itself cannot stand, and if Satan were to fight against himself, his kingdom would collapse. Jesus then turns the tables on His accusers, pointing out that if His power comes from God, then the kingdom of God is already at work among them. He also warns about the danger of spiritual complacency, using the parable of the unclean spirit that returns to a soul that has been swept clean but not filled with the Holy Spirit. This spirit brings back seven more wicked spirits, leaving the person worse off than before.
These readings remind us that our faith must be active and rooted in God’s grace. In Galatians, we see that faith is not just intellectual assent but a radical trust in God’s promises, which unites us to Christ and makes us heirs of the blessings given to Abraham. In Luke, we are called to recognize the reality of spiritual warfare and the need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, lest we become vulnerable to the lies and temptations of the enemy. Our lives must be marked by a deep reliance on God’s grace and a commitment to living in the freedom and power of the Spirit. Let us not settle for a superficial faith or a life that is merely “swept clean” but not inhabited by the presence of God. Instead, let us seek to be fully alive in Christ, trusting in His power to overcome every stronghold and to fill us with His life-giving Spirit.