I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent

 

 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.  My study Bible comments that this passage and 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Peter is called Cephas) show us that Peter was married. 

 

 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.   In St. Matthew's version of this story, Jesus heals St. Peter's mother-in-law with a touch (Matthew 8:14-15).  But here in St. Luke's Gospel, the emphasis is on Jesus' rebuke of the fever (both things could no doubt be true).   My study Bible quotes from the commentary of St. Cyril of Alexandria:  "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."

 

 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.   Both this passage in Luke and the passage that follows the healing of St. Peter's mother-in-law in Matthew report this activity in that same evening.  That is, both report the casting out of demons connected to healing from disease (see also Matthew 8:16-17).  We can see how such activity is linked to the "rebuking" of a fever.

 

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.    My study Bible comments that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom.  Miracles and healings, it says, testify both to the truth of the message and to the identity of the Teacher (see Luke 5:24).  This same pattern holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30).  

 

So far in Luke's Gospel, there has been established a pattern underlying Christ's mission and ministry that spells out a Kingdom come to be declared even in the midst of one under a "prince" making war against that Kingdom.  If we think about the Spirit immediately leading Christ to the desert to fast and be tempted by the devil, we see such a confrontation taking place.  This kind of battle isn't a kind of warfare we understand through worldly life.  Spiritual battle is essentially what Jesus did; it is to resist temptation and hold fast to faith in and obedience to God.   In today's reading, Christ's healing activities are connected to this world as battleground, where He has come to overthrow the "prince of this world" or "god of this age," the devil (John 14:30; 2 Corinthians 4:4).  Each episode or interaction we've read about so far emphasizes this reality as underlying Christ's ministry, whether He is facing temptation, or preaching with His authority, or healing sickness, or casting out demons.  Even when the demons speak up, He silences them, another action of opposition to their "leader," and an act of authority belonging to His Kingdom.  In today's reading, He replies to the people's request that He stay with them by declaring this mission, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."   Here is here bringing the kingdom of God closer to people, Christ Incarnate.  He's bringing the Kingdom into the world, preaching its gospel.  People do not yet know nor understand the Incarnation, but the demons know who He is, and He is already challenging the gates of Hades by bringing His ministry into the world.  His very presence is like a battle cry; resisting the temptations of the devil the great weapon, healing diseases and casting out demons a declaration of a greater power here than the prince of this world (Luke 11:20-22).  When we pray to Christ, when we resist temptation, when we follow His commands, and live as He asks, then we also join in this battle, and find ourselves in the midst of a battleground that not everyone can see.  But He calls us to this place, and He asks us to join Him under the sign of His Cross.

 

 

And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"

 

 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 

 

In yesterday's reading, we read that, having begun His public ministry, and after speaking in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth, 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 comments that this passage, and also 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Peter is called Cephas), indicate that Peter was married.  (See this article regarding modern archaeological discoveries concerning Peter's home in Capernaum.)   Note that here Christ healed with a word, a rebuke (in Matthew 8:15, we're also told that He touched her hand).  My study Bible quotes St. Cyril of Alexandria:  "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."  

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.  Again, we see this healing action by rebuking on Christ's part.  Following the line of the commentary from St. Cyril quoted above regarding Christ rebuking the fever of Peter's mother-in-law, we must observe how there is spiritual battle going on, a conflict, and Christ is a powerful authority for one side of that conflict.  The Gospel presents Christ's ministry of healing as directly connected to this battle as well.  Again, as in yesterday's reading, Jesus does not allow the demons to speak, to announce to the world His identity as Christ (the Messiah) and Son of God.

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.  My study Bible notes that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom.  Miracles and healings, it says, testify both to the truth of the message and to the identity of the Teacher (see Luke 5:24).  This same pattern holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30). 

We note the ongoing signs of the spiritual warfare that carries on unseen to most of us, but is brought out into the open through the presence of Christ.  Twice in today's reading, signs of a presence that bodes ill for human beings come to the fore.  First there is the fever of Peter's mother-in-law.  We're told that Jesus stood over her and rebuked the fever.  St. Cyril of Alexandria comments that whatever would be rebuked was surely some living thing which would be conscious of the rebuke.  We can see the harm this "living thing" does:  it lays a woman down with fever who otherwise holds an esteemed position within a household.  For to serve Christ is indeed an honored position, and she rises up and is able again to take her rightful place.  We must infer from this passage that whatever this was is harmful to human beings.  Should it have a consciousness, it bears a kind of malice, stirs up trouble, makes life painful and difficult.  Throughout the Gospels, we should note that this is the behavior of the demonic, which is in opposition to Jesus, the Healer.  Then we're told that many with various diseases come to the door of the house to be healed, and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  But in addition, this detail:  that "demons also came out of many."  Note that not all disease here is attributed to demons, but this was true for many of those who were healed.  The demons were also crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  So there is another hint about the spiritual reality that goes on unseen, for the most part, around us in our world, but is seemingly laid bare by the presence of Christ.  They know who He is.  Unlike the human beings who populate the Gospels for the most part, the demons have no trouble identifying Him and recognizing His power.  But they reveal what Christ wishes not to be revealed (see yesterday's reading and commentary for various reasons why this is so).  And so, with His power as the Holy One of God, Christ rebukes them and commands them not to speak.  We must note the power difference:  Christ is clearly the stronger man who can bind the "strong man" who was harming these people who come for healing (see Luke 11:16-23).  Jesus' ministry began with what is understood as spiritual warfare, or the "unseen battle" that goes on in this world which we very rarely openly perceived, when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness (in Wednesday's reading).  So we are given to understand the reality of the power of Christ (and of the Helper, the Holy Spirit).  He has come into the world as Savior, as Redeemer, as Healer -- but a great part of that healing is being the stronger power that overcomes the power of malice, of spiritual force that seeks to use and to harm human beings.  While we may understand that we frequently must make choices ourselves between things that cause harm and that which would not, the complex picture of life in this world is often confusing from our perspective.  We hear so many conflicting opinions, we're confronted with so many different stories -- many of which are told simply to persuade -- that it is hard to tell the difference between what is good and what is bad.  But we still know the properties of that which afflicts and harms, that which oppresses and causes pain, toxic circumstances and overly punitive mindsets that take pleasure in hurting others.  We might all begin to consider what it is to meet those without compassion -- or worse, those who feign compassion and have no depth of insight or forgiveness at all.  Let us consider that this battle continues around us, even when and if we don't or can't perceive it.  Let us understand that our prayers count in this battle, that our understanding and our faith make a difference and bring His presence more fully to be manifest into this world.  For we are here not as slaves to our Master, but as those who are children, and friends whom He asks to join Him in this struggle, with Him.