10/26/26

A Word from Luke 11

If you were in worship a couple weeks ago, you might recall that I mentioned a story from today's word in Luke 11. Jesus and his disciples had been teaching, healing, feeding, and casting out demons. But some of his critics said, “It's by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that he's driving out demons.” (11:15)

And Jesus replied, "If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." (11:18-20; emphasis added)

Now, as we said a couple weeks ago, this is the only place in the New Testament where "the finger of God" is mentioned. And many scholars believe that this is a reference to Daniel Chapter 5, where the "finger of God" wrote upon the wall of the arrogant King Belshazzar, announcing that his kingdom was about to be judged. (See Daniel 5:5-6 and 25-28)

Of course, as we said at the time, you don't hear many reports these days of mysterious fingers writing on walls, unless you're watching some kind of horror movie. But we do hear about followers of Jesus who teach, and heal, and feed, and help others to find release from demons by which they've too long been bound. And when that happens, I'd suggest that Jesus is continuing to write with "the finger of God," by using us to show the world that God's kingdom has come near.

So I guess my question for this today is this: "What is God going to write across the 'wall of the world' with your life this week?

May we be the text by which the finger of God reveals His love to others. Amen.