READ: Luke 4:38-44: … He rebuked the fever, and it left her … He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them … And He was preaching …
Immediately after what happened in the synagogue of Capernaum, Jesus goes to the house of His disciple Simon in that same place. Simon’s mother-in-law, who lives with him, turns out to be seriously ill with a high fever. The members of the household ask Jesus for help. They recognize Him as the Saviour who has divine power.
Jesus examines her (‘He bends over her’) and makes His authority known: He rebukes the fever, as no earthly physician can. The woman is immediately healed of her illness and can even serve the people in the house right away! A great miracle of which everyone in the house is a witness.
On this Sabbath, two miracles have now already been performed, and Jesus has already proclaimed His glorious Gospel. This leads many people in the town to bring their acquaintances afflicted by illnesses and ailments to Jesus immediately after the Sabbath has ended. And Jesus heals each one, one by one! For this purpose, He symbolically lays His hands on them to emphasize that the healing comes from Him.
There are also many people present who are possessed by demons, just like the man in the synagogue. These demons cry out that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. But Jesus does not want to hear this from the mouth of demons. He rebukes them, just as He did in the synagogue.
Why? The issue is that one cannot perform miracles apart from the Gospel. If you do not believe His Gospel, what will demons teach you? They will misuse their statement to make things difficult for Jesus and to prevent people from seeing Him as the One who is willing to lay down His life to save them. If you believe in Him merely as a miracle worker, that can stand in the way of true faith. His miracles are intended to emphasize His Gospel (cf. Matt. 12:16; Mk. 9:9,30,31; Jn. 6:26). Therefore Jesus does not allow the demons to speak any further.
The following day Jesus goes early to a quiet, secluded place in the surrounding area to pray to His Father in heaven, pour out His heart before Him, and hear what His will is for the time ahead. When the crowd finds Him, He takes His leave in order to continue throughout Galilee, preaching there.
Is exorcism also necessary today?
Sing: Ps. 91:1