Potter's Wheel Episode #3 - June 2019

LUKE 4:40-43

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TRANSCRIPT

(edited)

Luke 4:40-43 says, “At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah. At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.’”

In this passage, we see three key issues. The first one is the fact that Jesus was healing so many people and the numbers were so great that the diseases weren’t even mentioned. It was described that he was laying hands on them and as he touched them, they were healed. Secondly, according to Matthew’s version of this particular passage, demons were cast out with a word (Matthew 8:16). Jesus did not allow them to speak or to declare him to be the son of God, or the Messiah. The third fact is that in Luke 4:42, the next day, the people did not want Jesus to leave.

What are some practical insights that we can draw from this passage? First, the laying on of hands is a key method for praying for the sick. The impression here is that Jesus did not take a lot of time but was effectively healing as many people as he could through touch. We need to let that be our goal – that we can heal a lot of people simply by touching them, especially when we are dealing with large crowds.

Secondly, we need to pray that the Lord will use us in confronting demonic hosts. The demons were not allowed to speak, and we should not allow them to speak unless it’s to identify who they are so we can cast them out. We really should challenge the idea that a demon can manifest itself and take control of any type of manifestation, and limit their expression so that they’re not allowed to draw attention to themselves.

Thirdly, we need to freely give the grace and power of God away. We need to be open to go wherever God would send us. We are never to create barriers for the work of the Spirit, but just like Jesus would not limit himself to his own home base in Capernaum, we should not limit ourselves to being in our comfort zone, but to proactively seek to spread the good news of the Gospel with signs and wonders following.

May God bless you and thank you for spending time with me on the third installment of The Potter’s Wheel.