And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ

 

 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, after visiting His hometown of Nazareth and being rejected there, 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 remarks that this passage and 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Simon Peter is called Cephas) indicate that Peter was married.  Christ's healing miracles, it notes, are diverse.  In this case, He heals by a word.  In other cases, He heals by touch (Matthew 8:1-4).  This healing is immediate and complete, but others are gradual (Mark 8:22-25) or they require the cooperation of the person or their loved ones (Luke 8:54-55).   All of Christ's miracles, my study Bible adds, manifest His redemption of ailing humanity.  We note also the language here:  Christ rebuked the fever.  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.    Let us note here first of all that we're given a sample of a "day" in Christ's early ministry.  During this Sabbath, Christ was in the synagogue and rebuked the unclean demon (in yesterday's reading; see above).  Then Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon Peter's house, where He rebuked the fever of Peter's mother-in-law.  Here the sun is setting (this is actually the start of a new day in the ancient Jewish reckoning) and so the people all come with their sick and those with various diseases, and bring them to Jesus to be healed.  Again, part of this healing is the expelling of the demons, who are once again rebuked by Christ.  And also again, as in yesterday's reading, the demons know exactly who He is; they know the messianic secret.

 

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.   This is the same day that begun (at sunset) with the healing of the sick and demon-possessed, only now it is daylight.  Perhaps Jesus went to a deserted place for prayer or rest.  But the crowd sought Him out,  and tried to keep Him from leaving them.  This is a repeated experience in the ministry of Jesus.  My study Bible comments, regarding His response to them, that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom.  It notes that miracles and healings testify both to the truth of the message and the identity of the Teacher (see Luke 5:24).  The same pattern holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30).  

 

We have repeatedly read about Jesus acting to rebuke in several ways.   He rebukes a fever in the case of St. Peter's mother-in-law, He rebukes the demons who speak and identify Him as the Christ, the Son of God.  In that latter case, Christ's rebuke is like a muzzle, His command is for them to be quiet (literally so, in yesterday's reading, above).  So let us examine directly what a rebuke is, and what is meant by this.  Oddly, perhaps, this word in Greek is related to "honor."   It has to do with placing proper weight on something, giving it the proper value.  In this case, the word meaning to rebuke (ἐπιτιμάω/epitimao) indicates, according to Strong's Greek Concordance, meting out a due correction, even a warning to prevent something from going wrong.  So "rebuke" as an action of Christ is yet another action of authority, a kind of authority that has the ultimate discernment regarding what is fitting and right, and what is not.  Jesus has this authority to assign values, including, apparently, negative values.  It is yet one more aspect of His identity as Son of God.  He can teach us what is good to say, what is not good to say.   It's very interesting to note that, although what the demons say is quite true, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, that they know something that the people don't know, it's nevertheless inappropriate and not good for them to say it.  Hence, Christ is the One who is the ultimate judge of all things (John 5:22), and here in His authority He makes it clear that His identity must not be publicly revealed except in the proper way and at the proper time.  This gives us several avenues to consider:  First of all, the demons are those in rebellion against God; even a truth spoken from them is misleading, inappropriate, used improperly, and a hindrance to God's plan for salvation and Christ's mission in the world.  This alone gives us a great deal to consider in terms of our own discernment when we speak to others, and how, for example, we respond to our prayer lives and where God would lead us -- including who we listen to and why.  Even what is true can be used in a false and misleading way.  If the demons were enabled or allowed to continue to reveal the real nature of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, all of the misunderstandings and inappropriate expectations of the Messiah would trample upon Christ's ministry, creating chaos for Him.  Soon enough, this will happen in its own time and in the ways we will see; but it will all be used by the Lord for the Lord's purposes.  Christ also rebukes the fever of St. Peter's mother-in-law.  Like St. Cyril of Alexandria responds, this would indicate that there is a type of "living thing" that is the cause of this fever being rebuked by Christ.  Again, Christ's authority and discernment is being expressed in the rebuke.  Is this fever caused by a demonic force, or something else?  Perhaps it is so, as St. Cyril in his wisdom states.  This fever has the effect of disabling in a temporary way this woman who would be the elder woman of the household, the one who -- minus the fever -- becomes upright and serves Christ and His ministry (immediately she arose and served them).  In other words, she not only is engages the honor to serve Christ and this beginning ministry, but she becomes able to take her rightful place in the household.  Thus Christ's rebuke again puts things in a way that are fitting and right, bestowing the proper honor and value and rectifying a situation.  What we perhaps are meant to learn from this action on the part of Jesus is His role as the ultimate discerner and judge of all things.  It is Christ who can mediate and assign values, teaching us what is proper and true and what is not.  Even a true statement in a false place or manner of use becomes bad, a misuse of knowledge for misleading purposes.  Something done at the wrong time, not at the proper hour or with the proper preparation, also becomes a false step, a way to mislead and waylay God's purposes and Christ's plan of salvation.   In today's world, there is a high price placed on information.  That is, information of all and almost any kind.  We have a proliferation of sights, internet portals, social media, and all kinds of technologies designed for gathering information in all kinds of ways.  But what the story in today's reading seems to tell us is that there is a proper time for all kinds of things, and an improper way to use even what is true.  St. Paul writes, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify" (1 Corinthians 10:23).  Let us pray that we will use discernment, in both consuming and hearing information, and in spreading it.  

So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them

 

 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 to 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 after speaking in the synagogue in 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 is this!  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 notes that this passage and also 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Peter is called Cephas) indicate that Peter was married.  It points out that Christ's healing miracles are diverse.  In this case, He heals by touch; in Matthew 8:13, He healed by a word.  This healing is immediate and complete, while others are gradual (Mark 8:22-25) or they require the cooperation of the person healed or of his loved ones (Luke 8:54-55).  The passage in Matthew's Gospel which describes this healing adds the following:  ". . . that it might that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 'He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses'" (quoting from Isaiah 53:4).  As this indicates, my study Bible comments, all of Christ's miracles manifest His redemption of ailing humanity.   St. Cyril of Alexandria comments on the phrase that tells us Christ rebuked the fever:  "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.  Here we're given this ending of a particular day in Christ's ministry, as we read that the events in these verses took place when the sun was setting.  Note how yet again, the demons recognize and seek to reveal Jesus' divine identity, calling Him "the Christ, the Son of God."  But it is not time for Jesus to reveal Himself in this way, and so He rebuked them and did not allow them to speak.

Now when it was day, He departed and went to 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 here that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom.  It notes that miracles and healings testify both to the truth of the message and the identity of the Teacher (see Luke 5:24) -- thus they are often called "signs."   My study Bible says that this same pattern holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30).

Once again, as we've observed over the past few readings in Luke's Gospel, Jesus sticks to His mission.  He knows what He must be about, and the mission upon which He's been sent by the Father.  (It is in Luke's Gospel, after all, that we read of the twelve-year-old Jesus telling His frantic parents, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?" See Luke 2:41-52.)  Let's note that Jesus says He must go to other cities, "because for this purpose I have been sent."  There are also times when He is "moved with compassion" for crowds, and so stays to teach (Matthew 9:36) or to heal (Matthew 14:14).  But He knows His purpose (the purpose for which He's been sent), and to that He is dedicated above all.  Also, once again, in today's reading, we observe the demons making known His identity, and Jesus telling them not to speak.  So, while Jesus lives out His purpose, His mission in being sent, He is careful not to openly -- or perhaps we should say, literally -- declare Himself.  Jesus will show what it is a Messiah does, and reveal who He is in this sense, but not by declaring Himself openly as the Christ, until it is the proper time.  He must let the world know what that mission is by doing, by example, and by the signs that accompany His ministry.  He will not be a worldly king in the sense in which the people expect that of the Messiah.  In a sense there are three "rebukes" in today's reading.  Insisting that He move on to teach elsewhere is a kind of rebuke to the people who beg Him today; and we're told that He rebuked the demons.  But we began today's reading with the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, and that was facilitated by Jesus "rebuking" her fever.  As St. Ambrose of Milan observes, this would seem to indicate "some living thing unable to withstand the influence of Him who rebuked it."  A dark force, able to "inflict harm on the human body" is certainly suggested by the word "rebuked" here, and so we must consider one more aspect of Christ's power and authority in this context.  In this case, we see a malevolent force:  the text literally says that the fever "afflicts" or "seizes" her.  This force oppresses, inhibiting the capacity of Peter's mother-in-law to hold her rightful place in the household.  Moreover that rightful place isn't just a domestic figure of a woman elder in the household.  That place is ministering to Christ, the same blessing Peter and his brother Andrew have as disciples, if we understand it in this sense.  She is one of the ministers to the ministry, to put it succinctly.  And therefore, when she is able to immediately arise and serve them, she becomes -- as the image suggests -- upright, holding her own proper place of authority and honor.  In fact, in the Greek, when it says that she "arose," this is the same word that is used  the Resurrection, even to "rise again."  It is this word Jesus uses in John's Gospel when He says, "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day" (John 6:39).  So what we see, in effect, is Christ restoring people to their rightful places, a fulfilled identity within the greater context of the salvation plan for the world.  This is true healing on its deepest level within us, spiritual deliverance, and a defeat for the evil that would afflict and keep us enslaved to ill health or other maladies, from the fullness of our capacity to glorify God with out lives.  Let us consider the power of Christ and His mission, already being revealed in this beginning of His ministry.