Sometimes while I’m reading the Bible I come across an odd tidbit that goes just beyond my understanding. They’re insights into a world we know very little about and what we do know are glimpses of something so much bigger. These small passages often stop me in my tracks and set me to day dreaming of the possibilities. This is one of those scriptures. It comes just after Jesus has cast a demon out of a mute person and defends himself against some who thought he was using the power of Beelzebub [Luke 11:19]
24 “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.’
Jesus goes on to say that the unclean spirit brings with him seven more who are worse then himself in verse 25 but it’s verse 24 that really smashes me in the brain pan. Do you see it? A demon, coming out of a man, goes through dry places … where in world is that?
Really, what does this mean? We always think of the Hollywood version of where demons hang out, they’re in hell chillin’ in fire and brimstone or they’re inspiring cults to give them sacrifices. Whatever. Jesus says they’re passing through dry places seeking rest and finding none. It’s like they’re roaming through a desert without a canteen. So they return to a body? And it feels good to them?
Do you see where I’m going with this? From this small phrase that Jesus drops we begin to wonder just how much fallen angels are fascinated by humans that they take comfort or pleasure in being in our bodies and how miserable their plane of existence is without us—outside our bodies they seek comfort and find none. It also makes me wonder what other “place’s” lay beside us and all around us that we just can’t see.
And I wonder, these fallen angels, separated from God live in unrest and the only place they seem to find pleasure is by inhabiting man, who was made in God’s image. How strange. What more must we be then we see in ourselves?
February 6th, 2009 at 12:21 am
I couldn’t agree more. I really enjoy your blog brother. Its very insightful and makes me think.
p.s. I love how clean looking your blog is
February 6th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
thomas, ahoy me friend.
good post and thought-provoking musing. i too often wondered about this passage and one thing i feel about it is the despiar and torment of being a demon, who suffers this way over many years in this current age and THEN when the end arrives has an eternity of torment that would dwarf the discomfort of this existence.Its like th epitome of misery times 10…thoughts?
February 6th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Thx Eryn!
Steve, I wonder about the despair of demons sometimes too. I wonder how varied demons are mentally. I mean, it seems to me like some of them may be deluded enough to think that they’ll win while others might have been driven crazy by the fall when they realized they’d chosen the wrong side. I wonder how much their personalities differ from our own. But at the end of everything, they are going to end up pretty pitiful indeed.
February 18th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Love your train of thought here. I think there is a great glimpse of darkness here. That God truly is everything that creation needs; without him there is no refuge, even to those who have completely turned their backs on Him from the beginning. One of my favorite authors, Madeline L’Engle (A Wrinkle in Time) dedicated quite a bit of thought to this concept, of fallen angels seeking us out. Anything she wrote is worth a look.
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