Luke 4:31-44
Authority over Demons and Disease
Read the passage
31Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath He began to teach the people.
32They were astonished at His teaching, because His message had authority.
33In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out in a loud voice,
34“Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
35But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him.
36All the people were overcome with amazement and asked one another, “What is this message? With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”
37And the news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding region.
38After Jesus had left the synagogue, He went to the home of Simon, whose mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. So they appealed to Jesus on her behalf,
39and He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and began to serve them.
40At sunset, all who were ill with various diseases were brought to Jesus, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them.
41Demons also came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked the demons and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Christ.
42At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place, and the crowds were looking for Him. They came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving.
43But Jesus told them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well, because that is why I was sent.”
44And He continued to preach in the synagogues of Judea.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Jesus goes down to Capernaum and teaches on the Sabbath. The people are astonished because His word carries authority. In the synagogue, a man with the spirit of an unclean demon cries out, recognizing Jesus as the Holy One of God.
Jesus rebukes the demon and commands it to come out. It throws the man down but does not hurt him. The crowd wonders because Jesus commands unclean spirits with authority and power, and they obey.
Jesus then enters Simon's house. Simon's mother-in-law has a high fever, and the household asks Jesus about her. He rebukes the fever, and she rises immediately to serve them.
At sunset, people bring those suffering from various diseases and those troubled by demons. Jesus lays His hands on each one and heals them. He does not allow the demons to speak because they know He is the Christ. The next day He withdraws to a desolate place, but the crowds seek Him. He says He must preach the good news of God's kingdom to other towns as well.
His authority is visible in both his words and their effect. The demon must leave, the fever ends, and sick people receive his attention one by one. Yet even a grateful crowd cannot keep him for itself. He has been sent with good news that other towns need to hear too.
How We Know
Mark 1:21–39 records the same sequence of teaching in Capernaum, freeing a man from an unclean spirit, healing Simon's mother-in-law, and moving on to preach elsewhere. The accounts share those central events. Luke specifically says Jesus rebuked the fever and laid his hands on each sick person; those details should be read as Luke tells them rather than supplied from another account.
Questions
1 What amazes the people in Capernaum?
AnswerThey are amazed that Jesus teaches with authority and commands unclean spirits with power, and the spirits obey Him.
2 How does Jesus heal Simon's mother-in-law?
AnswerHe rebukes the fever, and it leaves her immediately. She rises and serves the household.
3 Why does Jesus leave the crowds to preach elsewhere?
AnswerHe says He was sent to proclaim the good news of God's kingdom to other towns too. Popular demand does not redefine His mission.
4 How should a family respond to suffering in light of this passage?
AnswerBring suffering to Jesus in prayer, seek wise medical and pastoral care, and do not treat illness as proof of personal guilt or spiritual failure.
What This Means for Us
Jesus' authority is compassionate. He confronts evil, heals disease, touches people with care, and restores them to ordinary life. His power is never presented as a performance for the crowd.
The passage also keeps healing within the wider proclamation of God's kingdom. We can pray boldly without promising a particular outcome or blaming people whose suffering continues.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are strong over evil and gentle toward the suffering. Hear our household's cries, guide us toward wise care, and keep us from turning another person's illness into a judgment against them. Amen.