THE BUSY SCHEDULE OF JESUS.
Luke 4:31-44.
LUKE 4:31-37. Jesus came to Capernaum and “taught them on the sabbath days” (Luke 4:31). There, the people “were astonished at His doctrine: for His word was with power” (Luke 4:32). Jesus’ authority is original, replacing even the ‘Thus says the LORD’ of the older prophets with ‘I say unto you’ (e.g. John 5:24).
Both the Temple and the synagogue were concerned about issues of ceremonial cleanliness. Yet there in the assembly was “a man who had a spirit of an unclean devil” (Luke 4:33). We are not told the nature of his uncleanness, but it is starkly stated as something incongruous to his surroundings. Amazingly, it would seem, no-one had noticed.
At this point the malevolent spirit cried out. Bad spirits always quake at the presence of “the Holy One of God” (Luke 4:33-34), and there was certainly heightened activity in the spiritual realm on account of Jesus’ incarnation. Notice that Jesus did not deny the title, since it was true, but He rebuked the spirit for speaking out of turn (Luke 4:35).
The presence of Christians does trouble the spiritual forces of evil. Everything in their limited armoury is engaged to knock us off balance: if not by persecution, then by division; if not by division, then by getting us to believe that they do not exist. We need to arm up for the fight (Ephesians 6:11-20), recognising our authority (Matthew 16:16-19).
The evil spirit was cast out, and the man was liberated (Luke 4:35). It is for this kind of liberation that Jesus came (cf. Luke 7:19-23). This stands as a token of His greater victory at Calvary.
Again the people were astonished: not only at Jesus’ teaching (cf. Luke 4:32), but also on account of His complete authority over contrary spirits (Luke 4:36). The message (in this instance) is not in the miracle, but in the One who performed the miracle. Given the need of men to seek out that which amazes, it is no wonder that Jesus’ fame spread abroad so rapidly (Luke 4:37).
LUKE 4:38-39. After the synagogue service in Capernaum, Jesus and His four companions went to the home of Simon (Luke 4:38). Was this the first after-church fellowship - or perhaps even the formation of the first spontaneous house-church of the new era? Jesus would later promise that where two or three are gathered together in His name, there He is in the midst of them (cf. Matthew 18:20).
Having conducted an exorcism in the synagogue (cf. Luke 4:35), Jesus now confronted the fever that had taken hold of Simon’s mother-in-law, which was making her sick (Luke 4:39). Simon’s mother-in-law got up (healed) from her sick-bed, and served (ministered - see Mark 10:45). In this, she was the first ‘deacon’ of the fledgling church.
LUKE 4:40-41. As the sun set, the Sabbath drew to a close, and a crowd gathered around the door of the house where Jesus was to be found (Luke 4:40). Having no doubt seen or heard about what had happened in the synagogue, they brought to Him other sick folks. Jesus healed them, and conducted more exorcisms (Luke 4:40-41). As before, Jesus would not permit the demons to speak, or to identify Him prematurely (cf. Luke 4:34-35).
LUKE 4:42. It is quite exhausting to preach and to teach, and then to minister well into the night to address people’s individual needs. However, Jesus got up early in the morning and - perhaps anticipating the interruption - found a solitary place, and there prayed (Luke 4:42a).
He was not allowed to enjoy His solitude for long. The people had their own idea about what Jesus should be doing, and pursued Him (Luke 4:42b). Men’s agendas, however well-meant, do not always coincide with what God wants.
LUKE 4:43-44. Jesus had already shown His concern for someone within the synagogue (cf. Luke 4:33-35), someone in the house (cf. Luke 4:38-39), and for the crowds who gathered around the door (cf. Luke 4:40-41). However, the preaching and teaching, healing and exorcisms must now continue in the towns beyond Capernaum, and throughout Galilee (Luke 4:43-44). It was for this that Jesus was “sent” (Luke 4:43).
We must never become so parochial that we only minister to our own, without a care for the perishing millions beyond our doors, or the doors of our church or denomination. Jesus told His disciples that the fields are already white to harvest (John 4:35), and calls upon us all to pray that the Lord will send forth labourers into His ripe harvest field (Luke 10:2).
