"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking to find rest, and finding none it says "I will return to my house from which I came."
The text continues to explain that the house was "swept and put in order". We see that Jesus is speaking of a person who has been freed from an unclean spirit, or demon. The person looks as though all is now well. He is clean and in order. But we learn in this text that the unclean spirit comes back, and with his friends who are more evil than he is.
WHAT'S MY POINT?
An attempt to clean ourselves by our own effort is insufficient, and so is doing things so as to look like you have your life in order. So many people seem to practice this sort of religion. It is a man made and powerless religion that is unable to keep one's self free from the powers of darkness. You may think "I get cleaned and then I start to get my life in order." But notice that this doesn't stop the unclean spirit from returning. We must be cleansed by the blood of Christ, and have our house, our being, not empty, but full of God and obedience to His word.
Jesus follows up this unclean spirit story with "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it." Yes, that is the way to fill a house and leave no room for the unwanted and evil guests. CLEAN BUT EMPTY IS NOT THE CONDITION WE ARE TO LEAVE OURSELVES IN, BUT CLEAN AND FULL, FULL OF GOD'S WORD, FULL OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S WORD AS WE TRUST HIM TO KEEP OUR HOUSE CLEAN.
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