Friday 13th of October
“The finger of God has overtaken you.”
Luke 11:15-26
Today’s reading opens with Jesus being accused of using the power of the devil to exorcise demons. Jesus is, in effect, being accused of using some sort of trick to lure people into a relationship with the devil, rather than his declared intent to open a new way into the Kingdom of Heaven. This accusation lies at the heart of much of the criticism that is levelled against Jesus’ message of divine love. If its challenge to the religious practices of the day is seen as being ‘too good to be true’, then the challenge must be coming from the devil and not God.
Jesus’ responded to the accusations levelled against him by countering that, no house that is divided against itself can flourish. If the devil were casting out his own demons, then his power base would be weakened and would ultimately crumble. Jesus’ response gives us the only logical and true explanation for his acts of deliverance: they come from God, acts that demonstrate the power of God to cleanse and heal even the most troubled of minds.