The Pulpit Commentary - Luke 4:31-44
AT CAPERNAUM . read more
Our Lord's labors at Capernaum. As Nazareth knew not the day of her visitation, and had done her best to make away with Jesus, he had no alternative but to make another place his center. Capernaum, a city situated on the lake of Galilee, and through which the Eastern caravans were accustomed to pass, is selected by him as the most suitable head-quarters for his Galilaean ministry. Accordingly, he came down from the uplands, where Nazareth lay, to this seaport, and there began his... read more
And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power . We have here again a picture which gives a general summary of Jesus' life extending over a considerable period. This is the fifth of these pictures of St. Luke. It represents the Master dwelling quietly at Capernaum, in the midst of his disciples, teaching and preaching; on the sabbath days gathering a considerable concourse drawn from the people at large, and generally surprising the listeners with his earnestness,... read more
Fame and Power. "His word was with power;" "The fame of him went out." Fame and power are the objects of eager and arduous pursuit; they are supposed to be deserving of the expenditure of our strength, and to reward us for all our anxieties and toils. What is their worth, intrinsic and relative? What were they to our Lord? and what should they be to us? I. THE WORTHLESSNESS OF FAME . 1 . The fame of Jesus Christ, as a man, is remarkable indeed. Born in a little Judaean... read more
And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil. After the general picture of Jesus' life and work in Capenaum, St. Luke proceeds to give a detailed account of the way in which one sabbath day was spent, no doubt intending us to understand it as a specimen of the ordinary sabbath-day work of the Master. We meet with here, for the first time in our Gospel, one of those unhappy persons described as either "having a spirit of an unclean devil," or as "possessed with... read more
See this explained in the notes at Mark 1:21-39. read more
Luke 4:31-32. And came down to Capernaum And dwelt there, entirely quitting his abode at Nazareth, in consequence of the rude treatment which he met with from his townsmen. Here let it be observed, that by settling in Capernaum our Lord fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy, Isaiah 9:1, which elegantly describes the effect of the Messiah’s residence in Galilee. See notes on Matthew 4:13-16. And he taught them on the sabbath days Namely, according to Matthew 4:17, and Mark 1:15, proclaimed that the... read more
Luke 4:33-37. See this paragraph explained at large in the notes on Mark 1:23-28. What have we to do with thee Thy present business is with men, not with devils. I know thee who thou art But did he, did even the prince of devils know Jesus, some time before, when he dared to say to him, Luke 4:6, All this power is delivered to me, and to whomsoever I will I give it? The Holy One of God Either this confession was extorted from him by terror, (for the devils believe and tremble,) or, he... read more
28. Man with an evil spirit healed (Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37)While in Capernaum Jesus preached in the local synagogue. People noticed that his teaching was very much different from that of the Jewish religious teachers. Instead of arguing about small points of the law he taught the truth of God plainly. All who heard had no doubt that this was God’s message taught with his authority (Mark 1:21-22).On this occasion, however, Jesus’ teaching was violently opposed by evil satanic powers that had... read more
The Pulpit Commentary - Luke 4:31-43
A sabbath day's work. "The despised and rejected" of Nazareth comes down to Capernaum, henceforth the center of his labor of love. The evangelist sets before us one of the sabbath days of this early Galilaean period, and bids us note the use made of the sabbath by the Son of man, who was also its Lord. He takes us to the synagogue, no doubt crowded by an expectant throng of fishermen, farmers, masters and workmen of busy Gennesareth. Jesus is the Teacher; and, as the discourse proceeds, we... read more