38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. 40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah. 42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. (Luke 4:38-44)
Last time we saw Jesus teaching and casting out demon in the synagogue. Here he went to Simon Peter’s house, where Peter’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. Some people asked Jesus to heal her, and Jesus rebuked the fever, and it left her. This word “rebuke” is the same word used to rebuke evil spirits and storms (Luke 8:24). Jesus rebuked the spirit of infirmity. We see that after Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, she immediately got up to serve them, a very good response.
At sunset, many sick people were brought to Jesus, and Jesus laid his hands on each one, healing them. He also cast out demons from many people. The demons, the evil spirits knew that Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ, and they cried out. Jesus rebuked them, forbidding them to speak. Jesus wanted people to believe in Him through His teachings and His deeds, not through evil spirits.
Because Jesus had healed the sick and cast out demons, the crowd wanted to keep him from leaving them the next day. Jesus said that he must preach the gospel in other cities, for this was the purpose of his mission. He was not sent to preach the gospel in just one city, but in all the cities.
May God bless you and your family!
