The Life Of Jesus Christ In Its Historical Connexion

It followed, from the foregoing words of Christ in reply to the Pharisees, that all cures of demoniacs wrought on any other principles must be entirely apparent and deceptive. [428] It was of no avail to remove individual symptoms while the cause, viz., the dominion of the evil principle, remained unshaken. The very agency that removed the former for a time would only strengthen the latter, to break forth again with increased power. Therefore, although Christ, speaking kat' anthropon, presupposed that the Jewish exorcists could heal demoniacs, he could not recognize their cures as genuine. So he says (Luke, xi., 23), "Whosoever is not with me (works not in communion with me in the power of the Holy Ghost) is against me (opposes in his works the kingdom of God); and he that gathereth not with me (does not, in communion with me gather souls for the kingdom) scattereth abroad [429] (leads them astray, and thus really works for the kingdom of Satan, against which he apparently contends)." The exorcists pretended, in casting out devils, to fight against Satan; but in fact, by their arts of deceit, were striving against the kingdom of God. How cutting a contrast to the assertion of the Pharisees that devils might be cast out by the aid of Satan!

The same truth is illustrated in parabolic form in verses 24-26; unless a radical cure of the demoniac is made by the redeeming power of the Divine Spirit, his soul remains estranged from God, the apparently cured disease seizes it with new force, the ungodly spirit finds his old haunt -- his former dwelling is completely prepared for his reception. [430]