40 Now
when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases
brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed
them. 41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou
art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for
they knew that he was Christ. 42 And when it was day, he departed and went
into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed
him, that he should not depart from them. 43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also:
for therefore am I sent. 44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
(Luke 4:40-44)
It
should be noted that the events of this account of healing and casting out of
demons occurs after sunset – the time of advancing darkness and the ideal
moment of the activity of demons. They love darkness for it hides their
wickedness from common view. By contrast, the people of God do their works in
broad daylight for all to see. “Ye are all the children of light, and the
children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us
not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep
sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let
us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love;
and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” (1
Thess 5:5-8)
“Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers
diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and
healed them.” Men have forever neglected the greater needs of the
soul in seeking the outward healing of the body exclusive to the more
efficacious INWARD healing of the soul. Jesus was able to heal thoroughly and
completely that disease of the heart that is more deadly than leprosy or any
other ailment. Yet, men always sought Him out for a temporary relief of the
body rather than an eternal comfort for the soul. It is happening today across
many churches (most) in America and around the world. But the compassionate Jesus
overlooked their ignorance and healed them every one.
We should also understand that the cause of every disease is sin, and Satan is
the author of sin. He sold his depraved goods to the couple in the Garden at
Eden, and all of their descendants have inherited that deadly disease of the
blood that is incurable by man, but removed by the Lord Jesus Christ and His
sacrifice at Calvary. “And devils also came out of many, crying out,
and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them
not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.”Long before the
Jewish leaders and common people knew Jesus as Christ, the devils knew. They
know scripture better than we do for they were once in Heaven with God long
before the Fall in Eden. “And there appeared another wonder in
heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and
seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars
of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the
woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it
was born.” (Rev 12:3-4) “And the great dragon was cast out,
that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world:
he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
(Rev 12:9) The devils are not prescient, but they are constant observers of our
strengths and weaknesses. They are ready to employ just those precise
temptations that will break down our walls of defense unless those walls and
High Towers are the Lord.
The devils also know Christ, but have rejected Him just as many so-called
atheist. By the way: it is my opinion that there are NO true atheists. Sir
Francis Bacon said of them: “Atheism is rather in the life than in the
heart of man.” All know of the existence of God but adamantly deny Him
for to admit of the existence of God would force their hand to accept His
authority – an admission they cannot make and continue in their wicked ways. So
they are rabid to remove all mention of His Name from every public forum. In
this way, they are just like the devils: “Thou believest that there is
one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James
2:19) Do
not sell the Devil short. He and his minions have great powers, but his powers
are without effect for one who is in the Ark of Christ who has finally and
completely vanquished the Devil and his minions.
The Presence of Jesus is better than the best hospital or most elaborate
funeral home. Hospitals cannot find sick patients when Christ is around, and
the funeral homes cannot keep people buried since they keep popping back up
from the grave. So the people wish to keep Jesus with them for His physical
blessings, but disregard the greater spiritual blessings He came to offer. “And when it was day, he departed and went into a
desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him,
that he should not depart from them.” Jesus has labored ALL NIGHT without sleep, yet He is now ready to
continue His tiring journey over dusty roads of the hill country to bring Light
and Healing to the people. The people desired that He not depart from them.
They saw and understood the benefits of His Presence. Had they known the
glori0us salvation made available to all who keep Jesus as a constant Friend
and Companion in the heart, how much more forcefully would they have begged His
departure be delayed? Have we, too, thirsted for Christ to abide constantly
with us and in us?
“And he said unto them, I must preach the
kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. And he
preached in the synagogues of Galilee.” Being the Great Physician, Jesus always
practiced medical and spiritual ‘triage’ in treating the
most life-threatening illness or injury first. What is the most deadly
affliction we can have (and all have without Christ)? Is it not the disease of
sin with which we were born? Are we not born with that old sinful nature of our
primitive parents – Adam and Eve? Far more important than treating the
frailties and pains of the flesh is the healing of man’s eternal spirit through
the preaching of the Gospel and, of course, every Word that Jesus spoke was the
Gospel! He was sent a Light into the world to reveal truth and the secret Love
of God to our hearts – the hearts of all whom are the called according to His
purpose. So once He has disposed of the illnesses and evicted the devils from
their comfortable abode in the souls of the people of Capernaum, He was now
anxious to get on with the more important aspects of His Coming – to preach the
Kingdom of God in other cities. We, too, should feel that burden warmly, and do
it while it is yet day.
