ministry in Capernaum

Good morning friends,
After a nearly fatal reception in Nazareth, Jesus is off to another town in Galilee called Capernaum. He'll make this sort of his home base for the first part of his ministry. This episode in Capernaum gives us a glimpse of a few things that will be hallmarks of Jesus' ministry. The first is that there's something clearly special about Jesus' teaching and ministry. Here people remark that he teaches with authority and with effect, even on demons. God's power shines through in Jesus and everyone can tell that there is something special about him. The other side of that is that Jesus heals on the Sabbath, which consistently bothers the religious leaders. Jesus gives different reasons for this during his ministry, but the overall message seems to be that keeping God's Sabbath includes bringing healing and wholeness to God's people.

We also see that the unclean spirit Jesus casts out knows who Jesus is but Jesus does not want that secret to be told. Jesus does signs and miracles that show he is God's anointed one, but at the same time he wants to keep that fact a secret. We'll see all these elements again as the story of Jesus continues. This story of Jesus invites us to follow and to discover who Jesus is for us.

God bless,
Sam


Luke 4:31-37
31He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbath. 32They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority. 33In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34“Let us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”

35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” When the demon had thrown him down before them, he came out of him without having done him any harm. 36They were all amazed and kept saying to one another, “What kind of utterance is this? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and out they come!” 37And a report about him began to reach every place in the region.