Luke 4:40Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Observe, I implore you, the belief of the crowd; even as dusk fell, they brought forth the ailing, undeterred by the hour.

He also touched each sick person individually, freeing them from their ailments. This act illuminated that the sacred flesh He assumed, endowed with divine authority, actively displayed the might of the Word. This was meant to instruct us that while the only begotten Son of God took on our likeness, He remains fully God and can effortlessly perform everything, even through His own flesh, for He worked miracles through it as His instrument. This should not surprise us; rather, we should recall how fire contained within a metal vessel is able to impart its heat. Similarly, the omnipotent Word of God, by truly uniting Himself with the living and sentient temple derived from the holy Virgin, infused it with the ability to express His divine power in action.

Matthew recounts, "When evening arrived, many individuals possessed by demons were brought to Him, and with a single command, He expelled the spirits and healed all the afflicted, fulfilling the prophecy spoken through Isaiah the prophet, who stated, 'He took our infirmities upon Himself and bore our diseases.' The evangelist clearly indicates that this took place on the same day when Peter's mother-in-law was healed. Mark also describes this event right after the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, noting that she began to minister to them. As evening fell and the sun set, the people brought all the sick and those tormented by demons to Him, filling the entrance of the house.

This declaration is made at the opening of the ninth chapter in the Gospel of Matthew.

Notes: * See Matthew 8:14-15.

On that same evening, following the hours of Sabbath repose, a great crowd gathered at the entrance of Simon's home, bringing with them the sick, having heard of the events in the synagogue. Perhaps some among them had not basked in the warmth of the sun for quite some time or had doubted they would live to see the evening; yet now they sought compassion from Jesus. Among the throng were those afflicted with common ailments and others tormented by demonic forces. The compassionate Lord stepped out to meet them and, moving from one individual to the next, He laid His hands upon each, healing them. He only instructed those who were under the influence of evil spirits not to declare Him as the Messiah, as he had previously. Oh, how abundantly His grace was bestowed upon all, undeterred by the malice and disbelief of humankind! How He manifested an inexhaustible love in that moment!

The accounts of all three gospel writers indicate that on the evening of the same day, individuals suffering from various ailments were brought to Christ from throughout the city, and He placed His hands on them, granting them healing. This occurrence took place on the Sabbath, leading the Jewish authorities to view the gathering and presenting of the sick before Christ as a violation of the Sabbath law. As a result, they postponed their actions until sunset, marking the onset of the new day. Moreover, Matthew interprets the multitude of healings that Christ performed as the realization of Isaiah's prophecy regarding the Messiah's suffering for humanity's transgressions (Isaiah 53:4).

The Jews' meticulous adherence to the Sabbath granted the Savior a brief moment for rest and rejuvenation. However, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, a throng of individuals—eager for the Sabbath to conclude—sought His aid. People gathered from throughout the city at the entrance of His modest home, bringing with them those tormented by demons and the ill, and Christ, moved by compassion for human suffering, healed them.

The restoration of individuals suffering from different ailments and those possessed by demons is recorded in Mark 1:32-34 and Matthew 8:16. It is noteworthy that the phrase ‘Laying hands on each of them’ appears solely in Luke, highlighting the physical action employed by the Lord during this period of healing. For further insight into the significance of laying on of hands as a visible gesture of divine healing, refer to the commentary on Matthew 9:18.

As the day came to a close, individuals afflicted with different ailments gathered and presented them to Him; He placed His hands upon each one and restored their health.

The story of the miraculous event in the synagogue spread swiftly throughout the city. As twilight descended, the hours of Sabbath rest concluded, during which the misguided teachings of the Pharisees prohibited deeds of mercy, including the healing of the afflicted (Matthew 12:10; Mark 3:2; Luke 6:7; 13, 14; John 6:1; 5, 10). Then all of Capernaum stirred with activity: the healthy and the ill rushed to the entrance of the home where Christ resided; they brought forth those burdened by various ailments and those oppressed by evil spirits, all united by a shared, joyful hope: to receive assistance and restoration. The Lord stepped outside to meet the assembled crowd and laid His hands upon them, symbolizing the healing might of God (Luke 13:13).