Luke 11:14-20

Luke 11:14-20 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you."

Exodus 8:19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said.

The crowd was amazed, for Jesus had great power over demons. This power, of course, was one sign of his messiahship: So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." (Luke 7:22) Jesus substantiated his claim of divinity by not only casting out demons, but by performing other miracles too. In the Old Testament, Moses performed miracles to prove he was God's messenger, doing the will of God. In both Jesus and Moses' situations, their primary mission was to release people from bondage. Pharaoh, a type of the devil, had to release the Jews from his control after God dealt with him. Likewise, the demons in the New Testament relinquished their hold on people after Jesus' fingers touched them. Moses was a representative of the finger of God, and Jesus IS THE FINGER OF GOD. God's touch destroys the power of the devil.

In the time of Moses and in Jesus' time, there were people who doubted whether the miracles they saw were done by God, or even whether they were supernatural. Pharaoh's magicians imitated some of the miracles to prove that they were not that unusual, and in Jesus' day, there were Jews who exorcised demons. The question for some of the Jews observing Jesus was, are these miracles done by the evil one as in the days of Pharaoh and his magicians or are they done by God? Jesus addresses this concern by telling the people that Beelzebub does not release people from his control. If he did, his kingdom would not stand; there would be no kingdom. He cannot destroy his kingdom and build his kingdom at the same time. A kingdom divided, without a uniform plan and purpose, cannot stand. Therefore, these miracles are done by God.

Is God's finger of miracles active in our lives? Is Christ doing a work of reformation in us? Are we allowing him to cast out the old demons, the old ways of living, the old compulsions? Are we allowing him to build a secure house on a solid foundation of faith and trust? We need his restoring hand in our lives daily. We need his cleansing, his influence, his strength. If we claim our lives are perfect, we cannot go any farther than we have gone already. But if we accept that we need further cleansing, further renewal, we have no limits to our spiritual vitality, no limits to the miracles we will see in our lives. But if we fool around with the devil and the things of the world, our kingdom, our house, will not stand, for we will undermine God's work in us.

A Christian cannot be a prostitute and God's child. We cannot serve sin and God simultaneously. We cannot cling to this world, and maintain our heavenly citizenship. A kingdom divided will not stand. We must commit to God or we will be committed to mammon (the world). Jesus says we cannot serve two masters and expect that kingdom to stand. Therefore, my Christian friend, child in God's kingdom, cling to Jesus and put away frivolous and harmful desires and activities. God desires your allegiance and will cause you to endure to the end as you place your faith and trust in him.