Scripture Reading – Luke 4:31-41:
Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.
33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!”Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.
36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!”37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.
38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.
40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak,because they knew he was the Messiah.
Devotional Thought
At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of illness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them (v. 40)
Another town, another synagogue and a different response. Instead of taking offence at Jesus’ message the people are amazed. Breaking into the scene – in their synagogue – is a man with an impure spirit. The ancient world believed in demons and evil spirits.
At Nazareth Jesus had read from Isaiah 61 about freedom for prisoners and the oppressed. He had concluded: “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”. The members of the synagogue at Capernaum saw it fulfilled.
The impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” We cannot dismiss the episode to the pages of history. If we considered some of the ways in which people are oppressed and abused in the present age. Their circumstances are not due to evil spirits, but they are victims of evil and the perpetrators still cry out, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth?”
The demons are not confined to the ancient world. In January 2019 the Catholic Herald reported that worldwide people are seeking liberation from demonic forces. People were increasingly saying demons were the cause of their various tribulations and that exorcisms were on the rise.
Jesus told the demon to be quiet! Yet again the people were amazed. We do not oppose evil in order that people are amazed but to ensure: Scripture continues to be fulfilled. It is a fight not to be taken lightly and we must heed Paul’s advice and put on the full armor of God to fight the powers and principalities that ruin peoples’ lives worldwide today.
News of Jesus’ power over the impure spirit could not be kept quiet and many flocked to him for healing – physically and from demon-possession. Hymnwriter Henry Twells wrote: ‘Thy touch has still its ancient power’ and we may be amazed when we see that touch at work – but should we be?
Heavenly Father may you be with us as we proclaim your word and evangelize others, may our hearts be as yours. May you give us wisdom and guidance on theses trying times when evil wants to overcome our world. We ask all this in your most precious Son’s name Jesus Christ. Amen.
Taken from Words of Life
prepared by Major Maria Lopez, Territorial Education Department, USA East
