Luke 4:31-40

     It is unknown how large Nazareth was. Barclay assumes, from the description of it as a polis, that it could be as many as twenty thousand. Other estimates see it as having far fewer inhabitants, perhaps several hundred. Regardless of its size, it may not have been an isolated backwater. But it was not highly regarded by the rest of Israel. This may have made Jesus’ positive comment regarding Gentiles (see last week’s study), even more difficult to take. It’s difficult to be disregarded, but Israelites always had the consolation of being a people in special relationship with God.
     From his visit in Nazareth, Jesus went to Capernaum. The Interpreter’s Bible Commentary reports that it has been identified with a site on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. In New Testament times it would have been an important point on the trade route from Ptolemais to Damascus. It would also have been a port for maritime trade. This would have made it a strategic location for the ministry of Jesus. Luke reports (7:5) that the synagogue in Capernaum was built by an officer in the Roman army.
     It was the custom of Jesus to teach in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The people were impressed by the fact that he taught with authority.
     Then Jesus is confronted by a man who is afflicted with demon possession. We see little evidence of believe in demon possession in the Old Testament, but it was widespread in the days of Jesus. The modern reader may dismiss such stories because few still believe in demon possession. It is unknown whether Jesus thought demons were real or simply didn’t challenge the belief amongst his contemporaries. In such cases Jesus seemed far more interested in results than in causes. The ‘demon’ came out of the man without causing any harm to him.
     Jesus did not restrict his ministry to calling people to moral or spiritual renewal. He met people where their needs were, and called his followers to do the same.
     The response of the people was again astonishment, for Jesus dealt with ‘demons’ or ‘unclean spirits’ with the same authority with which he had taught. His fame again began to spread.
     The next thing we hear is a simple story about an individual woman. We’re told that he left the synagogue and came to Simon’s (Peter) house. Simon’s mother was ill with a high fever and “they” asked him to do something about it. Many translations tells us that he ‘rebuked’ the fever. The fever left her and she got up to provide the hospitality that would have been so important to a woman of that (and most) eras.
     The word got out that there was a man who could help, so by the time the sun was setting, the sick were flocking in for Jesus to lay his hand upon them and heal them.
     When reading modern descriptions of many mental illnesses, it is not hard to understand why people of Jesus’ day found ‘demons’ to be a logical cause. Perhaps even for some physical illnesses. Illness itself feels foreign to the natural condition. Whether you call a harmful psychological condition, bacteria, fungus, virus or mutant cell by a scientific name or a ‘demon,’ we could still say they are invaders that we want to have ‘cast out’ of us.

Some things to think about:

Although most physical illnesses are no longer considered ‘socially unacceptable,’ the same cannot be said of certain psychological or emotional conditions. Some people of faith find it difficult even to disclose that they suffer from depression. Other conditions become more difficult. A prominent actress in the past few years won admiration for sharing stories of her sister’s struggle with mental illness. Some other actors and actresses have in the past decade or so made public their own bipolar disorders. So, could it be said that a so-called ‘demon’ today is the stigma that some people feel is attached to such illnesses. Are there ways that people of faith can allow Jesus to cast out the inappropriate attitudes and allow healthier and more compassionate ones to take their place? What physical illnesses might have the same need?

In what ways can people of faith meet people at the point of their need?

How can the modern individual respond to stories in the gospels that don’t match a scientific world view? How can the person of faith respond to those who would reject the whole of the bible because it portrays belief in things that science has disproven?