Read Luke 4:31-44

In her mid-thirties, author Theresa Brown left her career as a writing professor at Tufts University and became a trained nurse, first in oncology then in palliative care. She has written several books describing the difficult—though at times, blessed—task of preparing patients (and patients’ families) for death.

The good news of God’s kingdom is a proclamation of healing and deliverance from death—both physical and spiritual. Today’s reading marks the end of Luke’s long introduction to Jesus’ ministry: the angelic visits, birth narratives, ministry

of John the Baptist, and wilderness temptation. Now we begin to study Jesus’ life of ministry, and we see Jesus traveling throughout Galilee with crowds flocking to the Miracle Worker. The news was spreading quickly that Jesus of Nazareth was doing extraordinary things.

When Jesus preached, His words had the weight of surprising authority. Before a single miracle was performed, the people were stunned by the power of His teaching. Then, Jesus’ words were authenticated by His miracles: Jesus healed a feverish woman and a man possessed by a demon. As the chapter ends, Jesus touches many sick and suffering; when He laid His lands on them, they were healed.

In a great irony, it is not Jesus who announces His identity to the crowds but the demons. “I know who you are— the Holy One of God! (v. 34); “You are the Son of God!” (v. 41). The Devil had tempted Jesus to prove His identity; he knew that this Great Healer is the Son of God. Even the demons cannot help but proclaim His name. Much like God created the universe by verbal command, in this passage Jesus also exercised the power of His voice to cure the physically ill and to deliver the spiritually oppressed.

APPLY THE WORD

God’s kingdom will heal the world both spiritually and physically. Creation groans, and we groan in the frailty of our bodies (see Rom. 8:22; 7:24). Today, pray that Jesus the Healer will work in the lives of people suffering from chronic disease and terminal illness, and thank Him for the ultimate healing we will have in the resurrection.

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