“Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, ‘In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.’ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” 

Acts 19:13-16

Every time I have approached this passage with a cursory reading, it has always been a story that makes me smile. Perhaps it is that last line: “He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” For some reason that reads like an old-timey black-and-white comedy devoid of audio and set over a light carnival soundtrack.

I can picture it now - seven over-confident, religiously diplomatic men enter a home wearing their long black robes. Gassing one another up, poking the guy next guy with eager elbows, and nervously laughing, the group pushes the most foolhardy of the gang in the door first. After approaching the demon-possessed man (who is scoffing at the overdressed, elitist, silver-spoon Jews) begins to approach the group. Like a kung-fu movie from the ’70s, we see the comically long, rapid movement of the mouths of the men while the captions simply read “Get out of him! Jesus said so.” 

Dust is kicked up, robes torn, and eyes poked (three stooges style, of course). The crazed, demon-possessed man is quoted on the bottom of the screen: “You are not Jesus. You are not Paul. Who are you?” 

The next image is the funniest. The high-status sons of a well-known and well-respected man push and shove their way past one another, unclothed (censored, of course… this is the Bible), with small, but still visible wounds. Embarrassed, scared, and hurt —egos and bodies— the men run off into the distance at two times speed, until the camera fades to black, playing the Looney Tunes jingle. 

Hilarious… right? 

Just like the last time, and the time before that, the story of the Seven Sons of Sceva has made me chuckle as I look up from the Bible and enjoy God’s sense of humor. Luckily this time no one is around for me to try to explain why I’m laughing with the Word of God in front of me. 

Here is the thing about this story for me: It is like one of those jelly-stuffed donuts (my favorite), except the filling has a bit of a surprise. Almost as if I have sunk my teeth into the airy dough, begun tasting the sugary mixture inside, and I bite down on a lit firecracker. Pop! Midway through my quiet laugh, I re-read the words “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 

What if it was me in that scenario? Wearing my own sandals and flashing an aggressive sock tan, unfit for the heat of the arid sun, would I receive the same retort from this demon-possessed man? 

Theologically, I can confidently tell you that I know the correct answer: I am in Christ. I have been baptized into His death, and have been given His life. I am sealed with His Holy Spirit. My life has been bought with a price, and the fruit of my life bears witness to the fact that I am no longer my own; I belong to God Himself. I certainly am not Jesus, nor am I to be confused with Paul. However, I have the same access to the Father.

I know this answer, but I cannot help but feel the friction as I look at my own internal life. Even if I frequently make the right decisions, I cannot help but shake the continuous flow of temptation to lust, pride, anger, etc., etc., etc. How can I be associated with Paul, let alone, Jesus?

It was Jesus, after all, who blatantly mentions there are many with a list of spiritual accolades that dwarfs most of us, to whom He will respond, “I never knew you; depart from me…” (Matthew 7:23). 

As I dig deeper and deeper into prayerfully understanding the gravity and humanity of this passage, there are three ways that I can run. 

One path is spattered with rose-colored glasses, ignorant spiritual platitudes, and a fearful game of whack-a-mole where I try to push every negative thought below the surface without actually slowing down to ask if there is any truth to my solemn reaction. Here I can choose to deploy blind faith in order to make myself feel better. On this path, I choose to claim victory without ever slowing down enough to see if my feelings match up with reality. 

The next path has been overgrown with thorns, and thistles as I capitulate to every negative accusation regarding my identity. Here I can choose to sink into a hole, doubting what Jesus has done for me, failing to fight with the full armor of God, a la Ephesians 6. On this path, I choose to be defeated without ever slowing down enough to see if my feelings match up with reality. 

The final path is a narrow one; a lightly worn road with twists and turns, but lit by the truth of reality. Here I can choose to slow down enough to recognize that there are real dangers that could lead me to deviate in either direction: blindness cloaking ignorant pessimism or the charade of a smile without any stability. On this path, however, I can wrestle with the Scriptures, see how my life matches up with the Gospel and saving faith, and come out on the other side with an understanding of truth. If there is a possibility that I am not named next to Jesus and Paul, my ego may be hurt, but my future is not handcuffed; I can run to God and ask for comfort. 

At this intersection of discomfort and reality, I have given room for God to intervene and offer me clarity on my next step. The beauty of the light is that it reveals the unwelcome presence that existed unknown in darkness. The magnitude of the Gospel is that Jesus has defeated the otherwise impossible threats that we miss without the clarity that He lovingly exposes. 

Which path have you chosen?

Have you blindly assumed that everything is fine, with a sort of senseless optimism? 

Have you closed your eyes and hid in the corner, concluding that there is no hope for you?

The Sons of Sceva ran away naked and bloody, not because Jesus was unable to offer them the same thing that He gifted Paul, but because they had yet to receive Him. Paul was known by the demon because the apostle belonged to the Conquering King Himself. 

Jesus offered His dreadful prophecy in Matthew 7 in order to point to His next teaching point: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock…” (verse 24). His goal was not to threaten, but to offer the right path, and the sturdy foundation!

Is this the path that you walk? Is this the foundation upon which you walk? The storm can stir all it wants, and accusations can fly from every direction, but nothing can remove you from the love of God. 

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Romans 8:38-39