Luke 4:38–44: Power and Purpose

July 6, 2026

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CAMDE—400—CALY
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After preaching in the synagogue in Capernaum and healing a man possessed by a demon, Jesus went to Peter's house for some much-needed rest. However, the day would be anything but quiet or uneventful. 

Peter's mother-in-law, who lived with him and his wife, "was ill with a high fever" (Luke 4:38). The tense of the verb phrase, "was ill" indicates that her condition had existed for quite some time and tended to recur.^[1] Luke, writing as a physician, used the medical description "high fever" to emphasize the seriousness of her illness.^[2] The fever had completely incapacitated Peter's mother-in-law. 

When Jesus entered the home, just after healing a demon-possessed man, Peter and his wife "appealed to [Jesus] on her behalf" (Luke 4:38). This is a beautiful picture of intercessory prayer—a reminder of what a blessing it is to have others appeal to the Lord on behalf of someone who is too sick and weak to reach out on their own. 

Luke records that Jesus "stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her…" (Luke 4:39). Luke often used the word "rebuke" (epetimsem) in his Gospel. Jesus rebuked the disciples (Luke 9:55), the wind and the raging waves (Luke 8:24), and demons (Luke 4:35, 41; 9:42). By saying that Jesus rebuked the fever, Luke is not suggesting that it was caused by a demon or that Jesus was performing an exorcism. Rather, he is highlighting Jesus' authority and power over physical sickness and disease. 

As soon as Jesus spoke with authority over the illness, Peter's mother-in-law was completely healed. She did not need days to recover or time to regain her strength and energy. Instead, she got up "immediately" and "began to serve" those in the house (Luke 4:39).

The word about Jesus continued to spread. Luke notes, "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" (Luke 4:40). The Jewish Sabbath lasted from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, and carrying a sick person to Jesus during the Sabbath would have been against rabbinical law. So, when the sun finally set and the Sabbath ended, the people were free to seek Jesus for healing. In a single evening, Capernaum saw that there was no limit to either the power or the compassion of Jesus. 

Some of these afflictions were caused by demons and, just as with the demon-possessed man in the synagogue earlier, Jesus commanded the demons to come out. Luke writes, "And demons also came out of many, crying, 'You are the Son of God!'" (Luke 4:41). But, Jesus "rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ" (Luke 4:41). 

Why did Jesus command the demons to not tell anyone who he was? There are several possible reasons:^[3]

1. The church father, Athanasius (296-373) suggested that "Jesus silenced the demons because he did not wish that the truth should proceed from an unclean mouth." Jesus would disclose his identity in his own way and in his own timing.

2. When the demons identified Jesus, the religious leaders accused him of using Satan's power to cast them out (Mark 3:22-30). Jesus responded that if Satan were casting out demons, his kingdom would be divided and could not stand.

3. Many Jews expected the Messiah to be a powerful military and political leader. If Jesus had been publicly identified too early in his ministry, it could have sparked a political uprising. But in his first coming, Jesus came as the suffering servant, to die for our sins on the cross. Nothing was to stand in the way of that mission.

4. Jesus chose to reveal himself gradually through his life and ministry among the people—teaching, serving, healing, and ultimately making his way to Jerusalem to die on the cross. At the right time, he would reveal his identity fully, proving that he was God's Anointed One through his resurrection.

Jesus went to Peter's house after a day of teaching in the synagogue and then spent the evening—likely late into the night—healing the sick. After a brief night's rest, he rose early in the morning and "went into a desolate place" to pray (Luke 4:42; see Mark 1:35). Yet even there, those in need found him. They wanted to be near the Healer, and the sick from far and wide were no doubt seeking him out. Luke writes that the people "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'" (Luke 4:42-43). 

Jesus had known his purpose since he was a child, and he continued to be about his Father's business, preaching the good news of the kingdom of God throughout Judea (Luke 4:44). One day he will establish his kingdom forever and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. But first he must go to the cross, so that God's reign might be established in the hearts of men and women who call him Savior. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read and reflect on Luke 4:38–44. Am I seeking Jesus primarily for what he can do for me, or because I want to know him and live under his kingdom?

Talking to God: Ask God to help you clearly see the motives of your heart. 

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