Liberation comes to a man possessed of a demon.

Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. Luke 4:35.

Good morning, happy Tuesday, and many blessings my dear family.

In today’s Gospel (Luke 4:31-37), Jesus travels to the town of Capernaum in Galilee. When he arrived there, he taught the people. His listeners were astounded at his teaching. As they listened to him, they realized that Jesus was different than any of the teachers they had heard before. Jesus spoke with great authority, authenticity and yet with humility. 

There was a man in the synagogue that was possessed by an unclean demon. When the man heard the people talk about Jesus and the astounding deeds he had done, the man cried out to him: “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Are you here to destroy us? I know that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus then rebuked the demon by saying: “Be quiet! Come out of this man!” The demon threw the man to the floor and then came out of his body. The man was not harmed.

All the people who witnessed this healing were amazed and astounded. They said to one another: “What is it about this man? Where did he get this authority? How does he have the power to exorcise unclean spirits?” And the news of Jesus and his power to heal and to drive out unclean spirits spread throughout the region.

Take a moment and ask yourself: What are the unclean spirits that possess you? How do these unclean spirits affect your life? Do you long to be free of these unclean spirits? Or have they become an integral part of your life? Have you asked Jesus to exorcise your unclean spirits?

If you desire to have these unclean spirits rebuked by Jesus, go to Jesus, and beg him to rid you of the unclean spirit that is destroying your life. Every day come to Jesus and beg him to heal you. You may not get an immediate miracle. However, you may notice a difference in your life, in your emotions and in your trust in Jesus. Jesus is with you! Open your heart and trust him!

Now, let’s put a little more action to this story. Can you imagine how quickly word of this event would have spread on Instagram or Twitter today? Would it have gone viral though? In many parts of our world little attention is paid to those who speak with religious authority. Christian values, if truly lived, do have the power to deconstruct unjust systems, to overcome the power of greed and evil and do so in ways that do not physically hurt those driven by selfish needs or other values. 

How does it make you feel that Jesus spoke with authority and still needs to do this through us? In what ways have you ever experienced the Lord’s help in overcoming any unhealthy “driven-ness” within you? As you reflect on this notice if you are prompted in any way to share this wisdom with others.

Blessings,

Luis+