Luke Bible Study, Day 10
Today’s passage: Luke 4:31–44
Focus verse:And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. (Luke 4:37)
After Jesus leaves Nazareth unharmed, he heads to Capernaum, another town in Galilee. At this point in Luke’s account, Jesus hasn’t performed any miracles. That’s about to change.
In the synagogue Jesus encounters a demon-possessed man. The guy has an evil or impure spirit in him. When the man sees Jesus, the demon controlling him yells, “Hey, I know you! You’re Jesus, God’s holy one. Have you come to destroy us?”
Jesus doesn’t answer. Instead he bellows, “Silence!” Then he commands the demon to leave the man. The demon does, and the man is uninjured. Jesus’s authority and power to control a demon shocks the people.
The news of this miracle spreads quickly.
Next Jesus goes to Simon’s home (Matthew identifies him as Peter, as in Simon Peter, one of the twelve disciples). His mother-in-law is sick with a high fever. Her family asks Jesus to help.
Jesus commands the fever to leave her body, and it does. Then she gets up and makes them a meal.
By the end of the day, people flock to Jesus with their various illnesses and demon possessions. He lays his hands on the sick and heals each one.
As for the demons, he casts them out. Some shout, “You’re the Son of God!” But Jesus doesn’t appreciate their testimony and commands them to be quiet.
It takes Jesus all night to heal the sick and release the possessed. By daybreak Jesus heads out for some alone time to rest and pray, but the people seek him out and beg him to stay.
However, he moves on. He must preach the good news of God’s kingdom in other towns.
Though he could have stayed and built a ministry in Capernaum, this isn’t what he came to earth to do. He continues his mission, leaving the people in Capernaum in awe over his supernatural power to heal and cast out demons.
Questions:
The people beg Jesus to stay because of what he can do for them.
What do we want Jesus to do for us? Do we need to change our expectations of him?
[Discover more about Peter’s mother-in-law in Matthew 8:14–17 and Mark 1:30–31.]
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Read more about the book of Luke in Dear Theophilus: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus through the Gospel of Luke, now available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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