Luke 4:31-37 NRSVue
31He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath. 32They were astounded at his teaching because he spoke with authority. 33In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34“Leave us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” Then the demon, throwing the man down before them, came out of him without doing him any harm. 36They were all astounded and kept saying to one another, “What kind of word is this, that with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out?” 37And news about him began to reach every place in the region.
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Some thoughts on this scripture
Reflection
Because of his authority as the "Holy One of God", all evil is ultimately
powerless before Jesus. Can I bring the evil that I confront in my life - and
in our world - before him? How do I feel when I consider these things?
Confidence in God? Doubt and fear? Perhaps I should talk this over with
Jesus.
Reflection
Jesus seems to live within a world of hostility; political and family
divisions as well as the conflict of good and evil were the context of his
life. Somehow he transcends but is involved in the conflicts. He seems to
face conflict head-on. He does so, not only with the power of his own
personality, but with the power of his Father so that he can command evil and
it flees. Some of our evils can be dealt with only through prayer in the
power of the risen Lord.
Reflection
The healing and quietening of the tormented people gave Jesus a huge
reputation in his ministry. What we might today put down to mental or
psychological imbalance was seen then as a sign of demons and unclean
spirits. Whatever our understanding, the same Jesus today can heal the fears,
anxieties and worries of every day.