What did Jesus mean when he said this?

Question

In Matthew 12:43-45, Jesus says:

"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.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it 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."

Does this mean that the evil spirit eventually goes back into the same man that it was expelled from, and is joined there by seven additional evil spirits (who are even more wicked)? Is this why the condition of the man ends up even worse than before?

Thank you

Answer 1

you have been brainwashed. That entire book is made up by people intent on you giving them your money! Seriously, where are all the other books that emperor Constantine had removed! Jesus is a fake and so are all believers. Evil spirits are better known as mental retardation. The idiots back during the ancient times that that a retarded person contained evil spirits. Quite sad that people still believe those 2000 year old fairytales.

Answer 2

(43-45) The dangerous consequences of their rejection of Jesus.

"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."

a. When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none: Jesus grants us an important insight into the world of demons. Apparently, they (or at least some of them) desire a human host, and look for such among those who have "unfilled houses."

b. And the last state of that man is worse than the first: How important it is that we be filled with Jesus; as He fills us, we cannot be filled with any unclean spirit.

Answer 3

if the "evil spirit" returns to find a house "empty" then it will of course re inhabit and invite in it's friends. Jesus was pointing out that casting out the evil isn't enough, you have to replace it with all the "good" that you can in order to "fill the house" and leave no room for the evil to return. As a teacher he often spoke in parable to make people think a bit harder about what he was trying to get across, I think he was an excellent teacher.

Answer 4

This story is speaking of a person whom gives his life to Jesus Christ and seeks to follow him and puts aside all his old fleshly ways.

But alas, as soon as this man leaves the comfort and protection of the prayer meeting., he is left alone, without spiritual help and guidance. He trys to resist when his friends say, party with us, he tries to resist when his co worker says awww, just a little quickie at lunch.

Without new friends of his new way of life, the man will quickly fall back into his old life and as the story states, it will be worse after having tried to give it up. He will do more wicked things than he did before he was "saved" because he now believes that he "cannot" live good enough, or that he wasnt important enough to have received help from someone who knows what was and is expected of him.

Biggest warning here. If you are going to go around asking people to give their selves to Jesus and to follow in his will and way, YOU HAD BETTER be willing to follow through and not leave this person trying to sprout roots on a dry rock.

Answer 5

It is a warning against leaving uncleanness, and not replacing it with something better. Notice it says, it finds the house unoccupied. They may have exorcised the one demon, but didn't replace it with righteousness so as to ward off the return, so when the 1 demon returns brings even more evil with it and the outcome is worse than before.

Answer 6

Yes, you are correct in your conclusion. Whenever an evil spirit is expelled, it is vitally important for the person to become filled with the Holy Spirit and to spend time in the Word of God & prayer, also to pray specifically to overcome habits that might have enabled the demon to come in in the first place.

Answer 7

This meaning is not about "evil-Spirits" but about the Truth man seeks.

As our consciousness is a co-creator we are very responsible for much of what we perceive.

Step far outside of Biblical traits of "evil" as this is mans creation based on ideas, thought and perceptions.

What is said is "man has thoughts that are not true, "guilt falls within this scope as do many ideas we have clung to ; by discarding that false belief (s), it has no place to rest as "that man" no longer agrees with it's terms and throws it away; that belief then clings to those whom follow those beliefs and Seven is but a figure to convey "many" as many believe in suich things and this is the lesson as within reality our very thoughts and emotions Creat.

To see clearly one must step clear of Dogmatic ideologies as they are full of distortion and paths that lead to confusion.

Answer 8

I think the key to this that the house is found "unoccupied, swept clean and put in order" which I think would mean that the house is for rent.

Answer 9

I would guess that when you free yourself from one burden you often times take on one more cumbersome.

for example, when i quit smoking i took up golf.

but

smoking 3 packs a week cost me about 8 bucks.

i cant even touch the greens for that.

healthier yes, but much more of a financial burden.

but you don't need some book of myth to tell you that, just open yer eyes and look around you.

Answer 10

Hello and what He meant was when God cast satan out when God is not invited in, when Chirst is not first, then satan once being driven out, when Christ is not there then satan will be, you are either under the control of Christ or satan, you are NOT in control of you, there are free one line bible lessons that can tell you more and if you will email me i will give you the address as Yahoo Answers won't allow me to put the address here, [e-mail] God bless