Jesus Heals Many People
April 17, 2021
Commentary
At the conclusion of the service at the synagogue Jesus goes to the home of Simon Peter. Peter’s mother-in-law was very sick “with a great fever” (v. 38). In a moment Jesus heals her and she is able to “minister unto them” (v.39). It is quite evident from this passage that Peter was a married man and did not live a life of celibacy, as those who claim he was the first pope would like to have us believe.
The news about Jesus healing the sick spread quickly and that same night many sick people are brought to Him, and He heals them all (vv. 40-41). However, we must keep in perspective the fact that His main emphasis was on preaching and not healing. The purpose of healing was to authenticate His ministry as coming from God. The Bible certainly does not require such a ministry for today. Our homes are threatened by fevers of all sorts-far beyond the physical. There is so much unresolved conflict, unforgiveness, unfaithfulness, compromising media communications, pornography, and more. We need Jesus in our homes.
The Lord must have been weary after such a demanding day, and yet we find that He was up early the next morning to have a Quiet-Time (Mark 1:35). No matter how busy He became in the ministry, He knew the necessity of a time alone with the Father at the beginning of each day (v.42). If He needed this time to be alone with the Father, we also surely need it each day. After this preparation He said “I must preach” (vv. 43-44). The reason for Jesus’ rebuke was that He did not come to earth so that demons could acknowledge Him as the Christ, that is, the Messiah. Instead, He came to be acknowledged by people.
Application
Spending time with the Lord in reading His word and praying must be a priority in my life. I also want my life to be spent encouraging and training others in spending time with the Lord.
Luke 4:38– 44 (NET)
38 After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he stood over her, commanded the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.
40 As the sun was setting, all those who had any relatives sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus. He placed his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 Demons also came out of many, crying out, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
42 The next morning Jesus departed and went to a deserted place. Yet the crowds were seeking him, and they came to him and tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But Jesus said to them, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, for that is what I was sent to do.” 44 So he continued to preach in the synagogues of Judea.
Illustration: Stuart Briscoe A Pear Tree Covered With Apples
Stuart Briscoe tells the story of a friend who often used an old fruit tree to escape from his second story bedroom window, especially when his father was about to punish him. One day the father announced that he was going to cut down the old tree because it had not borne fruit in many years. That night the boy and his friends purchased a bushel of apples and in the cover of darkness tied fruit to the unproductive branches. The next morning the father shouted to his wife. “Mary, I can’t believe my eyes. The old fruit tree that was barren for years is covered with apples. It’s a miracle because it’s a pear tree.” (Eldon Reich-Sermon Central).