After Jesus was so hated and ill treated at His own town of Nazareth (vs. 24), He went to Capernaum, a town not far away on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. He had been there before and had done great miracles (vs. 23), and seems from this time to have made it His home, returning there from His journeys.
He taught them each Sabbath when they met in the synagogue, and they were astonished at the power of His words. “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Matt. 7:2929For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (Matthew 7:29). It must indeed have been wonderful to hear their scriptures taught by the One who knew so well God’s wish to bless them.
One day He showed His power in another way: a man came into the synagogue who had an evil spirit, called “unclean,” as whatever was not fit to be used for God was called, and he should riot have been allowed inside. Wicked spirits, living within persons, seem to have been common in that land where many people had for years turned from belief of God and worshiped idols: the spirit was not seen, but had control of the person to cause him to harm himself, never to do him good, and he was as a helpless captive, and no one could help him.
Jesus had told the people that He had come to set captives free (vs. 18), and this He did for the poor man, commanding the spirit to leave him. The people, who well knew the dreaul condition of the man, were more than ever amazed at the authority Jesus had,—that the wicked spirit obeyed Him. This was told everywhere, and He later freed many other from evil spirits. All the people should have known that Jesus was the Messiah promised to do such blessings for them, as no prophet.
The evil spirits were servants of Satan and knew, as he, who Jesus was: they spoke loudly that He was the Holy One from God, not to honor Him, but with contempt, saying, “What have we to do with Thee? Let us alone.” They called Him Christ, or, the Messiah yet in a scornful way.
Jesus commanded them to be silent, He did not want their witness to who He vi as, although He is pleased when people who believe say and Christ. The wicked spirits are always against Him; they know God’s power, but do not want His way; “the devils believe and tremble” (James 2:1919Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19)).
All would at last be the captives of Satan, except the Lord Jesus had come to free them, which He did hy taking the punishinent for sins His death (Heb. 2:1414Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14)). But any sin kept on with, makes the doer captive it in this world, as perhaps boys and girls know how hard it is to stop some habit, as, wrong words or untrue reading. But surely since the Lord Jesus freed those helpless captives to evil, He can now free His people if we ask Him.
ML 12/24/1944