Word to the Wise
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - Wednesday in the Third Week of Lent
[Jeremiah 7:23-28 and Luke 11:14-23]But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
I remember the first time I read Gerard Manley Hopkins' famous poem, "The Wreck of the Deutschland." The very first stanza speaks of his personal encounter with God and ends with the line, "over again I feel thy finger and I find thee...." Jesus' comment would have been familiar to his listeners because the story of Moses and the plagues inflicted on Egypt speak of it happening by "the finger of God!" That finger also makes an appearance in the Book of Daniel when it appears and writes on the wall in front of the King! Certainly "the hand of the Lord" is an expression that depicts God's power moving in human persons and situations in the scriptures. In the gospel scripture for today, the context is a comparison of powers! First of all, Jesus disposes of the illogical notion that he was operating according to "the prince of demons" since Satan wouldn't want his own creatures to cast him out! So, then, how DID Jesus cast out demons? The answer is "by the finger of God" and it means that in the person of Jesus the Kingdom of God has arrived. I remember my own struggles as a student trying to decide about religious life and the insistent pressure of that "finger of God." Hopkins' describes a similar experience. The people in the crowds were seeing that finger at work and yet remained uncertain. Perhaps we can ask ourselves about the presence of the "finger of God" in our own lives and how we find God in that way. AMEN
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