In Jesus’ Name - A Reflection on Luke 4:31-37




He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbath. They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “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.” But 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. They 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!” And a report about him began to reach every place in the region.


If anybody wants to become a powerful preacher, they need to take tips from Jesus. There was nobody who preached more powerfully than he. Powerful preaching invariably has three results: Astonishment, adversity, and amazement. We see all three demonstrated in this passage that we are reflecting upon today. First, the people were ASTOUNDED at Jesus’ teaching because he spoke with authority. People who know what they are talking about always speak with authority. This authoritative knowledge comes from personal experience, not merely from learning. 

 

When one preaches with authority, it always results in ADVERSITY from the evil one because he knows that his own power base is threatened. “Let us alone!”, he cries. “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.” Notice how there is a potent mixture of alarm, audaciousness, apprehension, and appeasement in what he says. Notice how the spirit is afraid! 

 

Jesus is not troubled. Without raising his voice, but very firmly he says to the unclean spirit. “Be silent, and come out of him!” And everybody is AMAZED because it is one thing to preach with authority, but when what you say is backed up with signs and wonders that can only be performed by God it is another thing altogether. It is why when Jesus sent the apostles to “proclaim the good news that the kingdom of heaven has come near”, he also said: “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons” (Matthew 10:8).

 

The apostles did exactly that and Scripture says that “awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles” (Acts 2:43). And, in case you think this was authority given only to the apostles, consider what those who followed them did — people like Paul and Timothy and Barnabas and Philip and Stephen. They also moved in the power of the Holy Spirit which was poured out upon them when they were baptized in Christ. We have the same Holy Spirit given to us, don’t we?

 

This is the start of a new month so let us determine to be led by this Holy Spirit who will teach us all the things of God and remind us of the great things that Jesus said we would do in his name (see John 14:26). And once we have experienced the grace and power of God in our lives, let us preach the word with the assurance that God’s word “shall not return to him empty, but accomplish his purpose, and succeed in the thing for which he sent it” (cf. Isaiah 55:11).

 

And we can begin by telling all those little demons that haunt us to be silent and get out. They have to listen if we command them in the name of the Lord. Because he said, “In my name you will do all things” (see John 14:12).


 Watch a video of this reflection by Aneel Aranha here: https://youtu.be/OizgQBTpQxY

 

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