Posts
Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house. But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.
When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!" And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.
Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent." And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
- Luke 4:38-44
Yesterday, we read that Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.
Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house. But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them. My study bible quotes Cyril of Alexandria here: "That which was rebuked was some living thing unable to withstand the influence of Him who rebuked it, for it is not reasonable to rebuke a thing without life and unconscious of the rebuke. Nor is it astonishing for there to exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body." We also learn here that Peter is married with a family, and we catch a glimpse of this life in his home, in which Jesus and the disciples are also present.
When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!" And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ. In a way, we're given a sample of "a day in the life" of Jesus' ministry. He begins by preaching. He returns "home" to Peter's house, where they find Peter's mother-in-law ill with fever. She's healed, and the meal begins. As the sun is setting, the sick come to Him. Healing is inseparable from His mission for the Kingdom in the world. And yet, His true identity must for now remain His secret. In all kinds of circumstances, Jesus is present and intervenes; the varied healings are as diverse as the circumstances and the people who need His help.
Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.' And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee. Daybreak comes, and Jesus begins the day with prayer, relationship to the Father, an inseparable, profound basis for all that He does and is. My study bible says that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom. It notes, "Miracles and healings testify both to the truth of the message and the identity of the Teacher (see 5:24). This same pattern holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30)."
It seems that Jesus has a most definite mission, and we're given glimpses of His determination and efforts to stick to that mission. People always want to interfere with it; they have other personal concerns, like wanting to make Him king (John 6:15). But Jesus is always true to His mission, always ready to follow the leadership of the Father. And this is real leadership, that we are willing to do so, as well. Sometimes it's not necessary that the whole world know our "mission." In today's reading, we have Jesus discussing the purpose He is here in the world ("for this purpose I have been sent"), even if His identity for now must remain a secret. I read a quotation recently from Jean Vanier, founder of L'Arche communities. He said, "In a true community, each of us is able to keep our own deepest secret which must not be handed over to others nor even shared. Each of us should be able to deepen our own personal conscience and mystical life. It is precisely here that the weakness and strength of the community lie. There is weakness because the ways of God for an individual are not always those of the people at the head of the community or what human reason and experience establish. But the strength is in putting people first. There is nothing stronger than a heart which loves and is freely given" (Jean Vanier, Community and Growth, pg. 21). Jesus really exemplifies what Vanier is saying, and in so doing, He sets the example for all of us. We begin -- in our relationships with others -- precisely with our relationship to God, to the Father. That is just the way Jesus begins His day. We each of us have a mission. Christ has exemplified what it is to be on such a mission. In this "secret place" of prayer with the Father, this mystical place of connection to God, we find our mission. Sometimes this very tender place mustn't be shared with anyone, it must be guarded and kept in our hearts, and properly nurtured. But there will come a time when it sprouts growth, and parts of it may be shared with others, put into community, and then shaped and redefined by that experience of community and those whose hearts are with us, with love. That is, with prayerful intention as well. That's the purpose of a spiritual director or confessor. But in every case, it is within the context of love and faith that we want our best, highest, most precious capacities for mission to be fulfilled. Let us follow Jesus' example, and remember where all our priorities really come from, and how to put them in place each day, each morning and night.
