Faith Diet
Sometimes we go through all the work of getting in shape, just to blow it again.
“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but it finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So will it be also with this evil generation.” While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” - Matthew 12:43-50
Jesus starts out here giving us bad news.
We clean up, kick out the demon, get ourselves on the right path, only to have the demons come back in earnest. What went wrong?
It's like being on a diet. We do the hard work of cutting back, leaning on our strong wills to make a change, but we really never give up the desires that lead to weight gain. So, when we lose and celebrate our success, we inch our way back, sometimes gaining more than we lost.
So it is with our faith.
If we don't continue to work at it, we can invite demons into our lives.
Jesus brings home this point with the comment about his family.
Those who do the will of the Father are those who stay with the faith. They are the ones who have influence over our lives, not the ones we live with or have as friends.
We cannot let the relationships we have drive our behavior.
If we do, we may invite the demons back without realizing it.
That's what I think he means here.
It is not that the family is evil. It is more like giving up the situations and relationships that got us in trouble in the first place.
It is like coming home from prison. If you go back to the old neighborhood that got you in trouble, it will be easier to get yourself in trouble again.
It is better to move on.
More to come...