Have you read any self-help books lately? In 2019 over 40 million self-help books were sold in the United States. Apparently, a lot of people feel the need to improve their lives. The big question is how? In Matthew chapter 12, Jesus addresses the Pharisees, an important religious sect that strictly adhered to Jewish laws. To teach them, Jesus tells the parable of the unclean spirit in Matthew 12: 43-45.
He Finds It Empty - Mt 12:44
“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, 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. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
Matthew 12:43-45
For some reason, we aren't told why, the demon, the unclean spirit, leaves the person that it is inhabiting and goes away for some time. When the demon learns that, "my house" as the demon calls it, is empty, although quite tidy and neat, he returns with seven more demons. Jesus then tells us that the last state of the person is worse than the first.
Whose House Is It?
The demon is quite bold to call this person "my house". Even though the unclean spirit had left, ownership had not changed. The house he returned to had been cleaned up but it was still "my house" according to the demon. So what happened? Had the person perhaps read some self-improvement books? The person apparently cleaned their house while the unclean spirit was gone. Maybe they realized they were on the wrong path and decided to make some needed changes to their life. Perhaps they thought that being a kind and loving person would be beneficial to them?
Empty Without God
If these improvements were made, why did the demon still say they were his home? He finds it empty, because being nice, changing your life for the better without God, still leaves a person empty. That person from the outside may look like they are a Christian, they may sound like a Christian, they may even call themselves a Christian, but if they have relied solely on their own efforts to be better then, they are not. We have the Holy Spirit living within us because we realize that it is the grace of God that saves us and changes us and not our own efforts.
Law Followers
The Pharisees thought they were in the good graces of God because they followed the laws of Judaism absolutely. They thought being a law follower was what God wanted. There is some truth here. God does expect us to be obedient to Him. There are expectations for the way a Christian should behave, but before we worry about our behavior we should be concerned about our heart. Do we love God first and then others? Galatians 3:11 puts it this way,
"Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”
When people followed Jesus, their behavior was changed after they followed Him, not before. Before they followed Him, they were "empty houses". Yes, it was possible to clean up and look righteous, but the real change that Jesus requires is a change of heart. He wants to make us a "new man" (Ephesians 4:24).
Righteousness Like Filthy Rags
The Pharisees of Jesus's time were examples of good behavior, a cleaned-up life, but they were empty. The Holy Spirit could not live in them because they rejected the need for a Savior. They, in essence, thought they could save themselves by being righteous. Righteousness without God is like "filthy rags" as Romans 3:19 tells us. The same is true for us today when we think all that God requires is for us to be good.
Clean But Empty
Do we judge those around us based on how clean their houses, their lives, are? Some of the people around us may seem to be the nicest and kindest but inside they are empty. Their reasons for their behavior aren't based in loving others. Their reasons may be that they want to be more successful, have more friends, or looked to as someone who is a role model. The so-called bad people we see may actually be the ones who are truly seeking to follow Jesus. They may be the ones who the Holy Spirit is working on to change in a real and meaningful way.
Walk In The Spirit
Galatians 5:16 tells us to walk in the Spirit. This means that the Holy Spirit guides our daily behavior. In Galatians 5:18 we are told to be led by the Spirit. When we let the Spirit lead will live a transformed life. In verses 22-23 we see the results, the fruits, of a spirit led life. If there is no fruit then, at best, a soul is empty and at worst it is filled with unclean spirits. If my house, my soul, is empty and the Holy Spirit does not live there, then I am opening myself up to unclean spirits, demons, to fill that void.
This Wicked Generation
Jesus concludes the parable by saying, "So shall it be with this wicked generation." This would be the generation of Israel that would turn its back on the very Son of God. They might be a generation who appeared holy, but it would be only superficial. Most would not hear Jesus. Most would not follow Him. They had Him right before them, showing signs and miracles, preaching and teaching, and still rejected Him. Today, we also often don't listen, we don't respond, we reject Him even though we are given many opportunities to follow Him.
Transformed By The Holy Spirit
Will Jesus find your house empty? All those self-help books in the end, are useless without the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. We have to recognize that our house, our soul, needs to be filled up with the Holy Spirit. If it isn't, then all the cleaning up of our lives that we do is just for show. "There is none righteous, no not one," says Romans 3:10.
Deny Self
We don't follow Jesus because He is the ultimate self-help book, however, quite the opposite, to be a Christian means to deny self and "take up your cross daily" (Luke 9: 23-25). When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, we will want what God wants, not what our sinful nature wants. We will be able to endure the pains and sorrows of this life knowing that He is always trustworthy and faithful to us. It is He who is our joy.
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