Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said, "If I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armour in which he trusted and divides his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Jesus has been accused by someone in the crowd of being possessed by Beelzebul (or Beelzebub) the "prince of demons", and some there seem to think he is even the devil himself. The word Beelzebul seems to derive from a non-Israelite deity eg Baal and means something like "lord of the flies" or "lord of the dung". Jesus dismisses this accusation since why would Satan cast out his own demons, he argues. What we do know is that Jesus cured a man of some kind of possession or psychic disturbance and his enemies were ready to accuse him of heresy.

Jesus also says "it is by the finger of God" that he cures the man. A wonderful little expression which reminded me of the story of a Christian who asked his minister if he were not afraid of slipping through God's fingers, for as he said, "We are all such minute parts of His immense creation". The minister replied, "That's impossible, for I am one of the fingers."

Through our baptism we become part of the body of Christ, so that we too should be able to say that we are one of God's fingers. Jesus is quite clear that those who are not with him are against him. But equally those who are for him are firmly linked to him. As one of God's fingers we are ready to reach out to others so that God's fingers can reach to infinity, and no-one can slip through.

Lord God,
we thank You that we are members of Your body,
that our heritage lies in Heaven,
and that our time here on earth is fleeting.
Help us to have the courage to reach out,
as Your fingers on earth,
so that no-one can slip through.
Amen.