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The Gospel of Luke Chapter 4:31-5:11 Power and Authority over Evil Spirits 4:31 So he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he began to teach the people. Leaving Nazareth, Jesus continued his Galilean mission tour, stopping next at Capernaum, which is on the coast of the Sea of Galilee. Here he followed his usual custom of teaching the people attending synagogue on the Sabbath day. 4:32 They were amazed at his teaching, because he spoke with authority. Like the people of Nazareth, the people of Capernaum initially commend the teaching of Christ. But unlike those at Nazareth, they were not later offended by the fuller content of Jesus’ message; instead recognised his power and authority. 4:33-34 Now in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice. "Ha! Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God." One of the men in the synagogue was possessed by a demon, who began to cry out in a loudly. It is likely, though not certain, that the demon employed the man’s own voice for his cries. The demon knew who Jesus was—the-Holy One (or Son of) God—and realized that Christ could destroy every power within Satan’s kingdom, so he cried that Jesus might leave his kind alone for they shared nothing in common with him. [As Gill points out, although the demon used the term "leave us alone" the text implies that the man was possessed by only one demon who spoke on behalf of all.] 4:35 But Jesus rebuked him: "Silence! Come out of him!" Then, after the demon threw the man down in their midst, he came out of him without hurting him. Jesus rebuked the demon for crying out in this way, telling Him to shut up. Then he immediately orders him to come out of the man, and the demon had no choice but to obey. He threw the man on the ground and came out of him without harming him. Notice how Luke emphasises that Jesus’ cure
caused no additional distress to the man. Jesus’ ministry of exorcism can be linked back to his proclamation at Nazareth that he had come to bring release to the prisoners and those oppressed by the devil. Exorcism and salvation are not so much two separate aspects of Jesus’ ministry as two parts of the whole; as also is the work of healing Luke mentions in the following verses. 4:36 They were all amazed and began to say to one another, "What's happening here? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!" The people were absolutely astonished, wondering and discussing among themselves about the supernatural power with which Jesus commanded unclean spirits who were compelled to obey Him. 4:37 So the news about him spread into all areas of the region. Not surprisingly, news of what Jesus was doing spread throughout the surrounding country.
Jesus Heals them All 4:38 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. Jesus went from the synagogue to Simon's house for a meal. Here he encountered Simon's motherin-law who was burning up with a high fever and they pleaded with Him to release her. 4:39 So he stood over her, commanded the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them. Notice how in this instance Jesus did not lay hands on the woman nor pray to God. Instead, standing at her bedside Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her immediately. Luke does not want his readers to equate a fever with a case of demon possession—he does want us to notice the same authoritative word from Jesus which deals effectively with both conditions. Not only did the fever leave her but she suffered no ill effects as a result of it. Her strength came back fully and at once she got up and began to serve them a meal. 4:40 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. By the time the sun was beginning to set word of Jesus’ healing ministry had spread to all the residents of Capernaum, and they brought to him all those who were sick with all sorts of diseases in hope of a cure. In this case Jesus laid his hands on every one of them individually and they were all healed. If there were many people, this would have taken quite some time, yet Jesus did not desist until they were all healed. 4:41 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. From Luke’s account, as well as those of Matthew and Mark, it seems that demon possession was understood by the people of Galilee to be a common malady; and many concerned relatives brought the possessed to Jesus for a cure. As had happened earlier that day in the synagogue, those possessed by demons began to cry out there recognition of him "You are the Christ the Son of God",
and once again Jesus rebuked them for he would not allow those who were unclean and unholy to testify to his true identity. Having rebuked them, he cast them out, setting all who were possessed completely free. 4:42 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. The following morning Jesus left Capernaum for an isolated place, presumably to pray; but the people searched until they found him and tried to stop him leaving. Perhaps they wanted Jesus blessing and healing power to be constantly on hand for them; or perhaps they wished to celebrate with him. Whatever the case, their understanding of Jesus mission was limited both in terms of what he had come to do and where he was to preach. 4:43 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." Jesus reply that he had been sent by God to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God ‘to the other towns’, that is, all over Israel, reveals that bringing people to surrender to the reign of God was his first priority rather than the healing of diseases. 4:44 So he continued to preach in the synagogues of Judea. Jesus continued, in an urgent manner, to preach in the synagogues throughout Israel (Judea here is a synonym for Israel – remember Capernaum was not in political or geographic Judea).
Simon Called 5:1 Now Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing around him to hear the word of God. The lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee, although perhaps this incident took place near the town of Gennesaret, by the sea 2-3 miles further on from Capernaum. The multitudes crowded around Jesus by the lake to hear the Word of God. 5:2-3 He saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. While he was stood by the lake, Jesus saw two boats drawn up to the shore and the fishermen washing (and no doubt repairing) their nets. In order that he might better address the crowd, Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to go a little away from the shore. By utilizing the boat, Jesus escaped the press of the crowd, who lined the shore to listen to his teaching. 5:4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Jesus had not merely used the boat as his platform, nor had he chosen it at random. Having finished addressing the crowd, Jesus wanted to introduce himself more fully to Simon Peter (it is probable
that Simon had already met Jesus – see John 1:40-42). Jesus told Simon to take his boat out into the deeper water and there let down his nets to catch fish. 5:5 Simon answered, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing! But at your word I will lower the nets." Simon might have understood by this time that Jesus was a carpenter by trade, and hardly able to advise him on his fishing policy. Yet he had been listening attentively to Jesus and had already started to respect him as a religious teacher, and so he was willing out of deference to follow his instructions; even though night was the time for fishing, and they had caught nothing on the previous night. 5:6-7 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets started to tear. So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were about to sink. The lowered nets filled immediately with such a large catch of fish that they began to break. So great was the catch that they called to their partners in the other boat (these were Zebedee’s sons James and John, it is not clear that their father was with them – Matt. 4:21) to help them. Both the boats were so filled with fish that they were at sinking point. 5:8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" When Simon Peter realized that Jesus had performed this miracle he fell down on his knees before him, overcome by his sense of sin in the presence of God. "Oh, Lord, please leave me—I'm too much of a sinner to be around you." (NLT). 5:9 For Peter and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken. For not only Simon but all those that were with him as his crew were astonished at the catch of fish. These crew members were probably Andrew, Simon’s brother, and a few other friends who also became followers of Jesus (see v 11). In John 21:2-3 we find seven of them in a boat (probably the same boat). 5:10-11 And so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's business partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." So when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. So also were James and John, Simon's partners in the other boat. Jesus tells Simon Peter not to be afraid as from now on he would be catching people. Implicit in Jesus’ call of Simon Peter to be a disciple was his commission to preach the Gospel; which Simon later did, beginning with Acts 2:3841. When they had brought their boats to shore they left them with their families or partners and gave up their fishing to follow Jesus as His disciples. This verse may well refer to all who were in the boats, not only Simon, James and John. © Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett 2013 Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges. Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org