NOTES for Luk 11:15-26
Jesus' short parable draws a clear picture for us. Life is not exhausted by the absence of evil; it is fulfilled by the presence of Good. This is where the beneficial role of law, even God's Law, ends: it points out evil and demands that we renounce it, but it neither defines the Good nor gives us the strength to do it. It is not enough to drive out sin, though even that lies beyond our strength; we must receive righteousness. Christ reveals this righteousness, not merely sinlessness. The Holy Spirit descends upon the apostles at Pentecost precisely to give them strength to practice righteousness. This is precisely why the baptism of repentance is completed by birth from above.