Luke 4:31-44
We have been writing about the kingdom of God and how in our text Jesus, who is the king of the kingdom, expresses His rule in this text in 2 ways: 1) the casting out of demons and 2) in the healing of the sick. 1 John 3:8 says For this reason the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Here in the text we see that there are demonic spirits that want to inhabit people. You might say, Pastor, why would a demon want to inhabit a person? One reason is that they can rob and destroy people. The second reason is so that they can express themselves in the visible world. Demonic spirits are immaterial. Demonic power is parasitical so they need a host. Sickness, in fact, can come from a demonic attack. Not all sickness is but clearly some illnesses and infirmity come from direct assault from the enemy. We see in these verses Jesus comes to Simon Peter’s home and finds Peter’s mother-in-law with a fever. Luke, the writer of this gospel, is a doctor and notes a high fever. Jesus rebukes the fever and she is healed. The word rebuke is the word used in other passages when a demon is adjured. Not all Sickness is a result of a demon sprit it can also be the result of living in fallen world. Either way Jesus would lay hands on people and heal them. Jesus had authority over the demonic, over sickness and infirmity over all the power of the enemy. I find it interesting that the first miracle Jesus did was to cast out a demon in church (the assembly of believers). Demonized people come to church! The good news is that that is where you want them so people can get free!
Notice that Jesus prayed in v 42 showing his dependence on the Father. Some think that the power of the kingdom is inherent in us because we happen to be Christians. The power of the kingdom is a dependency on the one who has the power and a relationship with Him. If we think we just have the power within ourselves we have removed ourselves from the source because of our pride and arrogance. Here the Son of God, having the Spirit without measure, prayed and took time to relate to His father. If Jesus the Son of God prayed, I think we should.
God has a word for us. We have been given power to advance God’s kingdom. If we don’t operate in the power and authority that God has given us we hinder the expansion of His kingdom in our lives, our community and the earth.
Understand that the church is the visible expression of the gathered kingdom of God. That’s why every in our service we pray for the sick because we believe the kingdom of God is among us. People are healed of colds to Cancer and everything in-between. Not just in church but in the market place. We have been called and chosen by God to bear fruit and fruit that remains John 15. We must embrace the King’s passion for the lost and destroy the works of the devil in all forms. We need to see the kingdom of God expressed in our government, education, and culture as well as in every area of our lives. The kingdom of God is here.
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