Matthew 12:43 - 45

43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

44 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.

45 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.”

Jesus tells us a parable based on the practices and beliefs of the Jews. He does not use this story to verify their beliefs but uses it to illustrate a point as most parables do.

This belief of the Jews was that when a demon or devil is not residing in a human being they wander the deserted areas of the country until it can re-enter civilization and find a suitable place to reside.

The demon or devil in this story is cast out of the person it was residing in. The demon then hunts through the deserted areas trying to find a place to call home, but cannot find any suitable place to reside.

The demon decides he will return to its previous abode, when he returns he finds it nice and clean because the demon has been cleaned out. When he returns he brings several of his fellow demons with him, seven to be exact. This makes the condition of the man in worse shape than he was before the demon was cast out.

Jesus is using this example as an illustration as to what the Jewish nation is like for the Jews.

Many Jews at first accepted the Gospel and furnished many workers for the spreading of the good news. However as the nation hardened its collective heart against the Gospel and became unbelievers. The nation ended up rebelling against Rome and was finally destroyed, they became the object of ridicule and scorn in the eyes of the people of the world.

But I see a secondary message to us as followers of Jesus. When we cast out the evil from our hearts, if we clean our hearts, but leave it empty of good then there is ample space for the evil to return to our hearts and make it much more wicked than it was before we accepted Jesus.

We must strive to follow the word of God and keep those words in our hearts then the evil has no room to move in and destroy our lives.