Healing and Deliverance - Luke 4:38-44

Primary Text

Luke 4:38–44 (ESV)

Jesus Heals Many

38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.

40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “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.

Jesus Preaches in Synagogues

42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Jesus’s Immediate Willingness to Heal

The life of ministry can be very taxing. Many tend to believe a pastor or preacher works for an hour or two each Sunday and spends the rest of his time soaking in the accolades of leadership. Not so for the committed servant of God. Physicians have said that an hour of energetic preaching has a similar impact on your body as four hours on the football field.

In today’s age, where the pastorate is often seen as a career rather than a calling, many pastors jealously guard their “work-life” balance, blocking out Mondays for rest and recovery.

While rest and family time are vital to the healthy leader and their families, it is important that we put the calling before our own comfort.

After an intense encounter in the synagogue where Jesus had triumphed over a demon, He went to Simon’s house—where He was likely staying.

Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever.

It’s important to understand that Luke often writes in specifically medical terms. According to William Barclay, “Here Luke, the doctor, writes. In the grip of a major fever—every word is a medical word. In the grip of is the medical Greek for someone who is very definitely laid up with some illness. The Greek medical writers divided fevers into to classes—major and minor. Luke knew just how to describe this illness.”

Jesus immediately, without hesitation, went to her, rebuked the fever, and healed her.

This shows His tireless compassion and readiness to meet the needs of those around Him.

Jesus exemplifies that true ministry is not confined to a schedule or a venue, but is a continuous outpouring of love and mercy.

I’m interested in how Jesus responded to the requests of this family that was deeply concerned about Simon’s mother-in-law.

Luke 4:39 “And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.”

Remember, Luke was a physician. Had this been him, we could have expected that he would have perhaps mixed an herbal remedy, created a poultice to ease the fever, or even a technique up to and including blood-letting, which was a commonly used medical method of that time.

But Luke, in a very matter-of-fact way, states that Jesus stood over this woman, who was likely lying down on a bed or mat, and rebuked the fever.

He rebuked it!

He spoke to it and rebuked it.

Howard Marshall says, “Then Jesus rebukes the fever, in the same way as he had rebuked the demon (Luke 4:35; cf. Mk 4:39 of rebuking the sea). The use of the word stresses that both miracles are wrought by the word of Jesus.”

We saw Jesus rebuke the demon in the synagogue (Luke 4:35). But now He’s rebuking a fever.

R.C. Sproul said, “What? It’s one thing for Jesus to rebuke a demon and have the demon leave the person that it had possessed, but we don’t think of fevers as being capable of being admonished or rebuked…Whatever was producing this fever in Peter’s mother-in-law, the One who was there, who could calm the sea and still the storm by the word of rebuke, has the power and authority to command rocks to speak or bacteria to leave a human body.”

We also see Jesus rebuking the wind and the waves in Mark 4:39. “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

In both Mark 4 and in Luke 4, we see Jesus speaking rebuke to something that had no ears. Inanimate beings have no need to be rebuked. Unless, that is, the inanimate beings are controlled by something that is alive.

I believe there is strong logical implication that, at least in these instances, the sickness and the storm were generated by a spiritual event. Jesus rebuked what appeared to be something that wasn’t alive because it was being used by something that was.

Regardless, in these examples we see Jesus exercising His authority over all aspects of creation by the sheer force of His word.

Jesus’s willingness to immediately heal Simon’s mother-in-law is one of many examples of His fulfillment of prophecies regarding Him.

Isaiah 35:5–6 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;”

Isaiah 53:4–5“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

Psalm 103:2–3 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,”

Earlier, we observed as Jesus had cast out the demon in the Synagogue. In doing this, He was fulfilling further prophecies of His mighty power and work.

Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;”

Jesus had quoted this very passage just before dealing with the demon-possessed man.

Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.””

Enmity refers to a state of hostility, antagonism, or deep-seated ill will between individuals or groups. It implies a mutual hatred or active opposition. In the context of Genesis 3:15, enmity represents the ongoing conflict between the offspring of the woman (Jesus) and the serpent (symbolizing and controlled by Satan) This passage foreshadows the struggle between good and evil, ultimately pointing to the Messiah’s victory over sin and Satan. Enmity captures the intense and enduring nature of this spiritual battle.

The Biblical Purpose of Miracles

Luke 4:40–41“Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “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.”

Miracles in the Bible serve multiple purposes:

They Authenticate - Miracles confirm Jesus’s divine authority and identity as the Son of God.

They Demonstrate - They showcase the power and compassion of God, revealing His kingdom and its legitimate impact upon the world.

They Inspire Faith - Witnessing miracles draws people closer to God, encouraging them to believe and trust in Him.

R.C. Sproul said, “During the earthly ministry of Jesus, His ministry was accompanied by a blaze of miracles…One of the strongest motivations for Jesus’s miraculous ministry was His compassion for people who were suffering…But there is a larger question about the function of miracles altogether in sacred Scripture.”

Many Christians think that miracles were used to prove God’s existence. However, God doesn’t need miracles to prove He exists.

Creation itself shows that God is real.

In Romans 1, Paul explains that God’s general revelation - His self-revelation both in nature and within the conscience of every person - makes His existence clear and convincing to everyone. Paul tells us that every human being knows God exists because of this revelation. (Romans 1:18–20 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

You see, according to Scripture, every person knows there is a God.

As Sproul wrote: “There are, of course, people who deny this. They say they don’t believe in the existence of God, but the truth is that they can’t avoid believing in His existence. They can bury that knowledge, repress it, deny it, and despise it, but they can’t destroy the knowledge of God that He has planted in them and that He reveals to them through creation.”

Silence of the Demons

Luke 4:41 “And demons also came out of many, crying, “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.”

Throughout His ministry, Jesus often commanded demons to be silent. There are several reasons for this:

Avoiding Misidentification - Jesus did not want demons to be the ones proclaiming His identity, which could create confusion or mislead people.

Controlling the Timing - Jesus was strategic about the timing of His full revelation as the Messiah, aligning it with God’s redemptive plan.

Preventing disruption - Silence kept the focus on His teaching and miracles, rather than on sensationalism or chaos that demonic proclamations could cause.

Barclay wrote: “the Jews had their own popular ideas of the Messiah. To them the Messiah was to be a conquering king who would set his foot upon the eagle’s neck and sweep the Romans from Palestine. Palestine was in an inflammable condition. Rebellion was always just below the surface and often broke out. Jesus knew that if the report went out that He was the Messiah these revolutionaries would be ready to flare up. Before men could call Him Messiah, He had to teach them what being Messiah meant, that it meant not being the conquering king but the suffering servant. Jesus’ injunctions to silence were given because people did not yet know what Messiahship meant, and if they started out with the wrong ideas death and destruction would surely follow.”

This control over the situation demonstrates Jesus’s authority and wisdom in carrying out His mission. He aligned His words and His actions with His Father’s will, accurately fulfilling the prophecies and controlling the message throughout the process.

Consistency in Mission Despite Rejection and Adulation

Luke 4:42–44“And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”

Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had faced rejection in His hometown of Nazareth.

Yet here, we see crowds seeking Him out with admiration.

Remarkably, Jesus remains unaffected by both the rejection and the adulation. He stays focused on His mission - to preach the good news of the kingdom of God.

This unwavering dedication highlights His commitment to fulfilling God’s purpose, undistracted by the varying responses of the people.

Balance of Solitude and Service

Luke 4:42 “And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them,”

Throughout Jesus’s earthly ministry, He regularly made time to pray in solitude.

His days were filled with ministry, but He always made time to get alone with the Father.

Early Morning Prayer: Mark 1:35 “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

Jesus often rose early to find quiet moments before the demands of the day began. This practice highlights His intentional approach to making time for communion with God.

Retreating to Lonely Places: Luke 5:16 “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

The word “often” indicates that this was a regular habit for Jesus. He recognized the importance of stepping away from the crowds to recharge spiritually.

Luke 6:12–13 “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:”

Before selecting His twelve apostles, Jesus spent an entire night in prayer. This shows His reliance on the Father’s guidance for significant decisions.

Mark 6:30–34 “The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.”

Even when seeking rest, Jesus prioritized the needs of the crowd, displaying His unwavering commitment to His mission.

Matthew 26:36–39 “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.””

In His moment of greatest anguish before His arrest, Jesus sought the Father’s presence in prayer, demonstrating His dependence on the Father for strength and comfort.

In Luke 4:42, we see Jesus getting alone to pray, but being discovered by the crowd, asking Him not to leave them.

Jesus set aside time to be alone with the Father, seeking solitude to pray and recharge. However, His time of solitude was often interrupted by the needs of the people.

Despite these interruptions, Jesus faithfully responded to the needs of those around Him.

This balance demonstrates His deep relationship with the Father and His selfless dedication to serving others.

Jesus models the importance of both spiritual nourishment and compassionate ministry.

Conclusion

In Luke 4:38-44, we see Jesus as the tireless healer, miracle worker, authoritative teacher, and faithful servant. His actions and words reveal the heart of God - a heart that seeks to heal, deliver, and restore. As we reflect on this passage, may we be inspired to follow His example, embracing His mission with compassion, dedication, and an unwavering focus on God’s purposes. Let us commit to being vessels of His healing and deliverance in our world today.