Luke 4:38-41--Jesus Heals Many

Luke 4:38-41
English Standard Version
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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.

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After the healing of the demonized man in Capernaum, Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon's house (the Simon that we often call Peter), for it seems that he and his family lived there in Capernaum.  Peter's mother-in-law who was staying with them was sick and had a high fever that wouldn't break, so they appealed to Jesus on her behalf for Him to come and heal her.

Notice how Jesus "rebukes" the fever in exactly the same way that He rebuked the demon and the demonized man, and we'll see Luke use this word again as Jesus continues to heal many more people.  Luke is using this same word over and over again to show us that Jesus has authority over the seen and the unseen (for He is the Creator of all things, both visible and invisible as we are told in Colossians 1).  We see that the illness is really gone from Simon's mother-in-law because she immediately gets up and starts serving Jesus and the others that were guests in her house.

Now everyone from the area heard of Jesus and the miracles that He was doing and they came from all around the area to see Him in hopes that He might heal them or their friends or family members who they brought to see Him, and He spent all day until sundown healing those with various diseases and those who were demonized.  The demons all acted like the one that came out of the man in Capernaum when the demon tried to tell people that Jesus was the Son of God, but Jesus (and we'll see apostles in the book of Acts doing the same thing later) told that demon, and probably these demons, to be muzzled, because no one wants the testimony of a demon on their resume.  That would just be reason for people to say, "Oh, His message is the same as that of the demons, so He must be lying or must be one of them."  In fact, we'll see this kind of an argument made in other gospels where the religious leaders try to convince people that He can cast out demons and they listen to Him because He Himself is the prince of demons that they called Beelzebub ("The Lord of the Flies").  For now though, the people are coming in faith and believing and they won't leave Him alone, and by the signs (and, yes, even the testimony of the demons), it is clear that some are beginning to understand that He is the Christ. 

Even Jesus would get exhausted and need to take some time to rest.  That's what we'll look at next time when He tries to get away to take some time to rest and recharge and the crowds won't leave Him alone.  Do you ever feel that way?  Jesus understands, as He's been through it too--pressed in on from every side and pulled in every direction and expected not to be crushed or torn asunder.  We see both the humanity and the divinity of Christ evidenced in these verses in the gospel of Luke.