"If by the Finger of God" Luke 11:14-28

Jesus delivers a man from a demon that had robbed him of his ability to speak and left him feeling isolated. Jesus drives the demon out so that the man was able to openly speak. Now he could audibly express himself about all he had experienced and was holding inside. That this formerly mute man was enabled to speak overwhelmed the crowd with amazement (11:14). Yet, some in the crowd opposed Jesus. Some claimed that the miracle was a ‘demonic deception’ and others tried to pressure Jesus into showing a sign from heaven. They wanted evidence that the miracle was from God, but spectacular sign could they agree was actually from heaven (11:15-16). He had opened blind eyes, enabled the deaf to hear, the mute to speak, the sick were healed and he had even restored life to the dead.  

The evil spirits obeyed Jesus, but those opposing Jesus claimed he was in league with the ‘Prince of Demons’ (‘Beelzebul’; ‘Lord of Flies’ became a name for the ‘satan’). They sought to discredit Jesus by claiming that the devil was at work through Jesus. Yet, as Jesus said, if the devil opposed his own troops then the devil was already a defeated foe. Also, if their own Jewish exorcists were not being empowered by ‘the satan’ then why accuse Jesus of this? But, Jesus made it clear that if he was liberating captives ‘by the finger of God’, then the ‘Kingdom of God’ was being manifested through him. The phrase the ‘finger of God’ looks back to the mighty works God did through Moses. When Pharaoh’s magicians couldn’t duplicate Moses’ work, they acknowledged that it was the ‘finger of God’ (Exodus 8:19). In his own saying, Jesus presents himself as the ‘stronger man’ who was tying up the demonic strong man and was robbing his possessions by liberating those captive to demonic power.

His opponents were biased and Jesus knew they were just putting a negative spin on the miracle. Clearly they were out to undermine Jesus’ ability to restore life and health and to justify their own inability to heal. Why not delight in the restoration of this man who had been unable to speak? They claimed that Jesus was setting captives free only as a way of deceiving people. Evidently, Jesus was casting out demons and enabling the mute to speak in order to corrupt Israel’s faith and lead people away from God or so they implied. They were obviously desperate and were reaching for whatever they could in order to discredit Jesus’ growing influence.    

Jesus made it clear that a country at war with itself was ruined and a house divided would collapse. If satan was working against himself, then his ability to oppose God’s life-giving purposes was over.  However, if Jesus was liberating captives and restoring people to community by the ‘finger of God’ than Jesus was ushering in God’s kingdom! This was true in the case of Moses and those opposing Jesus were like Jannes and Jambres the Egyptians sorcerers who opposed Moses. When they failed to reproduce Moses’ work, they admitted that it was the work of the ‘finger of God’ (Exodus 8:19). Like Moses, Jesus was bringing about a new and even more grand Exodus and God’s kingdom was being manifested. Those opposing Jesus were opposing God and making matters worse for themselves (Exodus 8:19, 2 Tim.3:8, 11:17-20, 11:24-25).

The real explanation for all this was that Jesus was empowered by God and he was stronger than the demonic strong man. The devil was the fully armed strong man holding captives under the influence of his oppressive grip.  But before their very eyes the stronger Jesus was dismantling the devil’s strongholds, plundering his possessions and liberating people by the power of God. Jesus went on to make it clear to his disciples that there can be no neutral ground in this spiritual war. One has to choose to gather on the side of the gracious work of God at work through Jesus or one ends up trying to undermine and discredit Jesus’ work (11:21-23).

The liberating God of the Exodus was working in an extraordinary way through Jesus. Jesus had set his face towards Jerusalem to fulfill his 'Exodus' (departure) and establish God’s reign (Exodus 9:31). Jesus tells the story of an evil spirit that was driven out, but was unable to find a new home so it returns to its former abode. It’s now sweep clean so the spirit takes seven other wicked spirits and they take that place over again. If those delivered fail to realign themselves with Jesus and his kingdom they will end up under an even more powerful enslaving influence. This seems to take on corporation application since Luke (See also Matthew 12:43-45) goes on to talk about ‘this wicked generation (Luke 11:29-32)’. It appears that both Luke and Matthew are applying this saying to the Jewish nation as a whole. Jesus’ exorcisms heal many individuals, but Jesus has a wider aim in bringing about God’s eternal kingdom, for Israel and for the world. Unless Israel is ‘cleansed’ with Jesus enthroned as Lord and God dwelling among them by his Spirit, then they’ll be subject to even greater evil.

While Jesus was saying this a woman calls out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you!” There is. However, an even greater privilege available to all persons. All who hear God’s Word and commit to apply it existentially in their own lives are blessed of God!”  What a privilege to be the mother of such a son and surely Mary was blessed. Yet, Jesus quickly turns the saying around into both an encouragement and a warning (See also 8:21). While there is only one Mary, blessed rather are all who hear the word of God and who respond to it with obedience.  The word of God is at work through Jesus which requires our hearing and our obedience. (11:27-28)