Breaking the Word

After he left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them.  At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.  And demons also came out from many, shouting, "You are the Son of God." But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Messiah. At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, "To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent." And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. (Lk 4:38-44)

 

 

Jesus did not limit his activities of preaching and healing to synagogues and the temple. His ministry was one of continuous activities. His ministry is carried out in the synagogue, in the temple, on the wayside, outside the land of Israel. There was not time limitation for activities as well. At sunset, at daybreak and always he was doing his ministry and including Sabbath. He was working always, everywhere and for anyone and everyone.

 

He rebuked them (the sickness and demon), he touched them (the people), and he healed them (the people). He also spent time in a deserted place. He was available for the people always but he found time for himself. Going into the desert would only mean for prayer or God experience. (The people of Israel were there in the desert for forty years – years of God experience)

 

He was clear of his mission and he kept moving and he could not be prevented by people. Successes did not prevent him from moving or successes did not tempt him to continue the work in the place of success. He was aware of his mission to all the places and hence he kept moving. Success was not his goal but doing the mission was his aim. 

Jesus then went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, "Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are– the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, "What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region. (Lk 4:31-37)

 

 

One of the main reasons of the Evangelists for writing the gospels was to reveal to the readers who Jesus was. And this was done so to increase the faith of the readers on Jesus (Jn 20, 31). Jesus was revealed through his teaching, preaching and his healing activities. Many of his followers were those who listened to him or those who were healed. Even when Jesus asked them not to reveal his identity they went about telling everyone about Jesus.

 

Here in this miracle story the author makes use of the demon to reveal who Jesus was. The demon shouted out: "Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are– the Holy One of God!". The demon was aware of the identity of Jesus and also the activity of Jesus.

 

Jesus was the holy one of God. The demon reveals that Jesus is from God. He has come to fulfill the activity of God. Work of Jesus was to destroy the evil. The fight between good and evil is from the beginning of creation. Evil is in the world and it is a mystery. Every individual realizes this conflict between good and evil (Rom 7, 13-25). Evil is in the society. It is the work of God and godly persons to destroy the evil and thus reveal the presence of God