The Cure of a Demoniac

Today's Reflections

The Cure of a Demoniac 

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Lk 4:31-37

³¹Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, ³²and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. ³³In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, ³⁴“Ha! 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!” ³⁵Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. ³⁶They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” ³⁷And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

Reflection:

Be quiet! When Jesus teaches in the synagogue, he speaks with authority. Likewise, when he casts out the unclean spirits, he does so with authority and power. And all these to the amazement of the people.

The cry of the unclean spirit designating Jesus as “the Holy One of God” is not a confession of faith but an ancient coping mechanism connected with occult practices whereby pronouncing the name of the opponent means having power over him to subdue him. Jesus silences the demon because he is more powerful and can command it to go away without even knowing its name. He silences it to stop whatever misconceptions it may generate. Indeed, Jesus is the Holy One, but for some people it may refer to a political messiah, something alien to the character and vocation of Jesus.

Jesus does not want to be recognized

merely as a miracle worker.

On your part, do you approach God

for more reasons than asking for miracles?