Amy C Walters

Jesus Heals Many – Luke 4:31-44

Some of the main characters in this story are not named: a man who is oppressed by an evil spirit, Simon’s mother-in-law who is oppressed by a high fever, and people from across Capernaum oppressed with various illnesses. But Jesus, with just the power of his words, is able to set them all free.

One of the main characters in this story doesn’t really do much on his own. The man in the synagogue who is possessed by the demon doesn’t act on his own, doesn’t speak for himself, is not even named. 

Instead, we hear the evil spirit cry out loudly with the man’s voice, “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.” 

And Jesus, with just a few words, commands that evil spirit to leave him. The evil spirit throws him down in front of everyone and then comes out, but the man is not injured.

We don’t know what happens to the man next. All we see is this moment where he is released from the oppression of that evil spirit. He was a puppet but now he is free.

Later, we read about Simon’s mother-in-law. She too is unnamed, but we know that she is suffering from a high fever. Jesus “bends over her and rebukes the fever, and it leaves her.”

Again, just a few words from Jesus are enough to set her free from this oppressive fever. In fact, she is so instantly healed that she gets up and begins to serve them.

Then the story tells us that at sunset, people brought to Jesus “all those who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on them, Jesus healed them. Moreover, many demons came out of people shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ Jesus rebuked them and would not allow them to speak because they knew he was the Messiah.” 

There’s a lot to unpack in this paragraph. First of all, it’s sunset when people start bringing the sick to Jesus. They had to wait until sunset because this was the Sabbath, and they were not allowed to do any work.

As soon as the sun goes down, the sick start to come with “various kinds of sickness.” It doesn’t matter what sickness the person has, Jesus is able to heal them. 

We’re also told that Jesus lays his hands on them to heal them. So many of the diseases of this time would make a person unclean, untouchable. But here is Jesus, reaching out to touch them and heal them.

In addition to those who are sick, we also see people who are oppressed by evil spirits. These spirits are loud, shouting, and identifying who Jesus is. But Jesus rebukes them and does not allow them to speak.

Now, I don’t know about you, but this leaves me with a question. Why would he stop them from speaking? Jesus is not trying to hide who he is. In the previous story, when he was in Nazareth, he read a passage from Isaiah that people knew to be about the Messiah. And Jesus said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” So Jesus is not shy about identifying himself, and yet he silences these demons. Why?

I think there are several reasons. First, when these demons speak, they are loud and disruptive and aggressive. The man in the synagogue interrupted Jesus’ preaching. In quieting these demons, Jesus may be trying to prevent distraction and disruption. 

Secondly, many people at that time had assumptions and expectations for what the Messiah would do and who he would be. “Christ” is a loaded title. But Jesus is carefully teaching about the kingdom of God, working to reshape their understanding. He wants them to listen to his teaching first. He wants to show them what the kingdom of God looks like. But if people hear the unclean spirits say, “You are the Son of God,” they may jump to their previously held assumptions and miss what Jesus was teaching. 

Thirdly, an endorsement from an evil spirit is not necessarily a great thing. They may be speaking truth here but they are by nature deceptive. No one’s understanding of the Messiah should come from such a wicked source. 

Finally, I think there’s also an element of timing at play here. Jesus will reveal the important things and the truth about who he is, but all in the right timing. Trust the process. 

So these are the possible reasons for why Jesus would silence them. Notice, now, how he silences them: with just a few words. He speaks and it happens. The evil spirits don’t argue, don’t bargain, don’t delay. 

Pastor Zach Rogers once pointed out to children that while they check their closets at night for monsters, the monsters check their closets for Jesus. These evil spirits fear him. The one in the synagogue says, “have you come to destroy us?” They know what the future holds. They know the power that Jesus has, and they fear him.

Now, it’s easy to get hung up on this whole idea of demon possession and evil spirits. This is something that we don’t wrestle with regularly in the Western world. We don’t understand how it works, what it looks like, maybe even doubt if it still happens today.

But don’t get stuck on it, because what we see as we look at Jesus’ interactions with these people who are being oppressed by the spirits, oppressed by sicknesses, is that Jesus sets people free. And that is our key truth for today.

Part of the prophecy Jesus read from Isaiah in the previous story says that Jesus will release the oppressed. And right here we see it happening! He is releasing those who are spiritually oppressed. He is releasing those who are physically oppressed. As we continue to follow Jesus’ ministry, we’re going to see him release people who are religiously oppressed too.

Jesus sets people free. What a beautiful thing: the freedom that we have in Jesus!

If you are a child of God, you are free: 

• Free from having to be perfect. 
• Free from earning your salvation. 
• Free from having to figure out everything by yourself.
• Free from having to follow other people’s expectations for you.
• Free to be who you are in Christ.
• Free to follow Jesus wholeheartedly.

Jesus sets you free. But sometimes we forget how free we are in Christ. So let this story be a reminder of your freedom.