Luke 4:31-44

The Anointed Prophet Ministers In Capernaum And Elsewhere (4:31-44).

In this passage the work of the Spirit Anointed Prophet is seen as coming to fulfilment. Here we are given the essence of His activity. Primarily He teaches with authority. But He also frees a man from captivity by evil spirits, He delivers from an oppressive fever, and carries on a successful healing and deliverance ministry, and then He goes on to proclaim the Kingly Rule of God in other towns also.

Pause before you enter here. Consider what you read, and wonder. Do not just say, ‘Oh, we know these stories from Mark.' Consider that these next verses reveal that into this imperfect world has come One Who has total authority over the powers of evil, One Whose creative word can remove the effects of disease in a moment, One Who can make totally whole all who come to Him with any imperfection whatsoever, and One Who can bring men forgiveness and bring them under the direct and personal Kingly Rule of God. Here is revealed God's Salvation (Luke 1:30). Here is the guarantee that men can be transferred from under the tyranny of darkness into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son (Colossians 1:13), here is the proof that Satan's power will not finally prevail, here is the assurance that one day all will be made well, in Him is the certainty of our future hope, for it will all be accomplished by the One Who stands here. We are about to read a cameo of the history of salvation.

The passage may be analysed as follows:

a He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And He was teaching them on the sabbath day (Luke 4:31).

b And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority (the authority of the Kingly Rule of God) (Luke 4:32).

c He casts evil spirits out of a man and they declare ‘We know Who You are, the Holy One of God' (Luke 4:33).

d He rebukes the spirits and they come out of the man (Luke 4:35).

e All are amazed and report concerning Him goes everywhere (Luke 4:36).

d He rebukes a fever and the woman is wholly restored (Luke 4:38).

c He heals many and casts out evil spirits and they declare ‘You are the Son of God' (Luke 4:40).

b He goes on His way to proclaim the Kingly Rule of God to other towns (Luke 4:42).

a And He was preaching in the synagogues of Judaea (some authorities say ‘Galilee' but often to Luke ‘Judaea' includes Galilee (Luke 4:44).

Note that in ‘a' He teaches in Capernaum and in the parallel He preaches ‘in Judaea' (‘the land of the Jews'). In ‘b' He preaches with the word of power/authority and in the parallel He proclaims authority of the Kingly Rule of God. In ‘c' the evil spirits bare testimony to Him, as they do in the parallel. In ‘d' He rebukes the evil spirits and the man is restored and in the parallel He rebukes the fever and the woman is restores. So Jesus equally heals a man and a woman. Central to the passage in ‘e' is that all are amazed so that report about Him goes everywhere.