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Chapter 26
At Capernaum
AT Capernaum Jesus dwelt in the intervals of His journeys to and fro, and it came to be
known as "His own city." It was on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and near
the borders of the beautiful plain of Gennesaret, if not actually upon it.
The deep depression of the lake gives to the plain that skirts its shores the genial
climate of the south. Here in the days of Christ flourished the palm tree and the olive,
here were orchards and vineyards, green fields, and brightly blooming flowers in rich
luxuriance, all watered by living streams bursting from the cliffs. The shores of the
lake, and the hills that at a little distance encircle it, were dotted with towns and
villages. The lake was covered with fishing boats. Everywhere was the stir of busy, active
life.
Capernaum itself was well adapted to be the center of the Saviour's work. Being on the
highway from Damascus to Jerusalem and Egypt, and to the Mediterranean Sea, it was a great
thoroughfare of travel. People from many lands passed through the city, or tarried for
rest in their journeyings to and fro. Here Jesus could meet all nations and all ranks, the
rich and great as well as the poor and lowly, and His lessons would be carried to other
countries and into many households.
Investigation of the prophecies would thus be excited, attention would be directed to the
Saviour, and His mission would be brought before the world.
Notwithstanding the action of the Sanhedrin against Jesus, the people eagerly awaited the
development of His mission. All heaven was astir with interest. Angels were preparing the
way for His ministry, moving upon men's hearts, and drawing them to the Saviour.
In Capernaum the nobleman's son whom Christ had healed was a witness to His power. And the
court official and his household joyfully testified of their faith. When it was known that
the Teacher Himself was among them, the whole city was aroused. Multitudes flocked to His
presence. On the Sabbath the people crowded the synagogue until great numbers had to turn
away, unable to find entrance.
All who heard the Saviour "were astonished at His doctrine: for His word was with
power." "He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."
Luke 4:32; Matt. 7:29. The teaching of the scribes and elders was cold and formal, like a
lesson learned by rote. To them the word of God possessed no vital power. Their own ideas
and traditions were substituted for its teaching. In the accustomed round of service they
professed to explain the law, but no inspiration from God stirred their own hearts or the
hearts of their hearers.
Jesus had nothing to do with the various subjects of dissension among the Jews. It was His
work to present the truth. His words shed a flood of light upon the teachings of
patriarchs and prophets, and the Scriptures came to men as a new revelation. Never before
had His hearers perceived such a depth of meaning in the word of God.
Jesus met the people on their own ground, as one who was acquainted with their
perplexities. He made truth beautiful by presenting it in the most direct and simple way.
His language was pure, refined, and clear as a running stream. His voice was as music to
those who had listened to the monotonous tones of the rabbis. But while His teaching was
simple, He spoke as one having authority. This characteristic set His teaching in contrast
with that of all others. The rabbis spoke with doubt and hesitancy, as if the Scriptures
might be interpreted to mean one thing or exactly the opposite. The hearers were daily
involved in greater uncertainty. But Jesus taught the Scriptures as of unquestionable
authority. Whatever His subject, it was presented with power, as if His words could not be
controverted.
Yet He was earnest, rather than vehement. He spoke as one who had a definite purpose to
fulfill. He was bringing to view the realities of the eternal world. In every theme God
was revealed. Jesus sought to break the spell of infatuation which keeps men absorbed in
earthly things. He placed the things of this life in their true relation, as subordinate
to those of eternal interest; but He did not ignore their importance. He taught that
heaven and earth are linked together, and that a knowledge of divine truth prepares men
better to perform the duties of everyday life. He spoke as one familiar with heaven,
conscious of His relationship to God, yet recognizing His unity with every member of the
human family.
His messages of mercy were varied to suit His audience. He knew "how to speak a word
in season to him that is weary" (Isa. 50:4); for grace was poured upon His lips, that
He might convey to men in the most attractive way the treasures of truth. He had tact to
meet the prejudiced minds, and surprise them with illustrations that won their
attention. Through the imagination He reached the heart. His illustrations were taken from
the things of daily life, and although they were simple, they had in them a wonderful
depth of meaning. The birds of the air, the lilies of the field, the seed, the shepherd
and the sheep,--with these objects Christ illustrated immortal truth; and ever afterward,
when His hearers chanced to see these things of nature, they recalled His words. Christ's
illustrations constantly repeated His lessons.
Christ never flattered men. He never spoke that which would exalt their fancies and
imaginations, nor did He praise them for their clever inventions; but deep, unprejudiced
thinkers received His teaching, and found that it tested their wisdom. They marveled at
the spiritual truth expressed in the simplest language. The most highly educated were
charmed with His words, and the uneducated were always profited. He had a message for the
illiterate; and He made even the heathen to understand that He had a message for them.
His tender compassion fell with a touch of healing upon weary and troubled hearts. Even
amid the turbulence of angry enemies He was surrounded with an atmosphere of peace. The
beauty of His countenance, the loveliness of His character, above all, the love expressed
in look and tone, drew to Him all who were not hardened in unbelief. Had it not been for
the sweet, sympathetic spirit that shone out in every look and word, He would not have
attracted the large congregations that He did. The afflicted ones who came to Him felt
that He linked His
interest with theirs as a faithful and tender friend, and they desired to know more of the
truths He taught. Heaven was brought near. They longed to abide in His presence, that the
comfort of His love might be with them continually.
Jesus watched with deep earnestness the changing countenances of His hearers. The faces
that expressed interest and pleasure gave Him great satisfaction. As the arrows of truth
pierced to the soul, breaking through the barriers of selfishness, and working contrition,
and finally gratitude, the Saviour was made glad. When His eye swept over the throng of
listeners, and He recognized among them the faces He had before seen, His countenance
lighted up with joy. He saw in them hopeful subjects for His kingdom. When the truth,
plainly spoken, touched some cherished idol, He marked the change of countenance, the
cold, forbidding look, which told that the light was unwelcome. When He saw men refuse the
message of peace, His heart was pierced to the very depths.
Jesus in the synagogue spoke of the kingdom He had come to establish, and of His mission
to set free the captives of Satan. He was interrupted by a shriek of terror. A madman
rushed forward from among the people, crying out, "Let us alone; what have we to do
with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee who Thou art;
the Holy One of God."
All was now confusion and alarm. The attention of the people was diverted from Christ, and
His words were unheeded. This was Satan's purpose in leading his victim to the synagogue.
But Jesus rebuked the demon, saying, "Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when
the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not."
The mind of this wretched sufferer had been darkened by Satan, but in the Saviour's
presence a ray of light had pierced the gloom. He was roused to long for freedom from
Satan's control; but the demon resisted the power of Christ. When the man tried to appeal
to Jesus for help, the evil spirit put words into his mouth, and he cried out in an agony
of fear. The demoniac partially comprehended that he was in the presence of One who could
set him free; but when he tried to come within reach of that mighty hand, another's will
held him, another's words found utterance through him. The conflict between the power of
Satan and his own desire for freedom was terrible.
He who had conquered Satan in the wilderness of temptation was again brought face to face
with His enemy. The demon exerted all his power to retain control of his victim. To lose
ground here would be to give Jesus a victory. It seemed that the tortured man must lose
his life in the struggle with the foe that had been the ruin of his manhood. But the
Saviour spoke with authority, and set the captive free. The man who had been possessed
stood before the wondering people happy in the freedom of self-possession. Even the demon
had testified to the divine power of the Saviour.
The man praised God for his deliverance. The eye that had so lately glared with the fire
of insanity, now beamed with intelligence, and overflowed with grateful tears. The people
were dumb with amazement. As soon as they recovered speech they exclaimed, one to another,
"What is this? a new teaching! with authority He commandeth even the unclean spirits,
and they obey Him." Mark 1:27, R. V.
The secret cause of the affliction that had made this man a fearful spectacle to his
friends and a burden to himself was in his own life. He had been fascinated by the
pleasures of sin, and had thought to make life a grand carnival. He did not dream of
becoming a terror to the world and the reproach of his family. He thought his time could
be spent in innocent folly. But once in the downward path, his feet rapidly descended.
Intemperance and frivolity perverted the noble attributes of his nature, and Satan took
absolute control of him.
Remorse came too late. When he would have sacrificed wealth and pleasure to regain his
lost manhood, he had become helpless in the grasp of the evil one. He had placed himself
on the enemy's ground, and Satan had taken possession of all his faculties. The tempter
had allured him with many charming presentations; but when once the wretched man was in
his power, the fiend became relentless in his cruelty, and terrible in his angry
visitations. So it will be with all who yield to evil; the fascinating pleasure of their
early career ends in the darkness of despair or the madness of a ruined soul.
The same evil spirit that tempted Christ in the wilderness, and that possessed the maniac
of Capernaum, controlled the unbelieving Jews. But with them he assumed an air of piety,
seeking to deceive them as to their motives in rejecting the Saviour. Their condition was
more hopeless than that of the demoniac, for they felt no need of Christ and were
therefore held fast under the power of Satan.
The period of Christ's personal ministry among men was the time of greatest activity for
the forces of the kingdom of darkness. For ages Satan with his evil angels had been
seeking to control the bodies and the souls of men, to bring upon them sin and suffering;
then he had charged all this misery upon God. Jesus was revealing to men the character of
God. He was breaking Satan's power, and setting his captives free. New life and love and
power from heaven were moving upon the hearts of men, and the prince of evil was aroused
to contend for the supremacy of his kingdom. Satan summoned all his forces, and at every
step contested the work of Christ.
So it will be in the great final conflict of the controversy between righteousness and
sin. While new life and light and power are descending from on high upon the disciples of
Christ, a new life is springing up from beneath, and energizing the agencies of Satan.
Intensity is taking possession of every earthly element. With a subtlety gained through
centuries of conflict, the prince of evil works under a disguise. He appears clothed as an
angel of light, and multitudes are "giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils." 1 Tim. 4:1.
In the days of Christ the leaders and teachers of Israel were powerless to resist the work
of Satan. They were neglecting the only means by which they could have withstood evil
spirits. It was by the word of God that Christ overcame the wicked one. The leaders of
Israel professed to be the expositors of God's word, but they had studied it only to
sustain their traditions, and enforce their man-made observances. By their interpretation
they made it express sentiments that God had never given. Their mystical construction made
indistinct that which He had made plain. They disputed over insignificant technicalities,
and practically denied the most essential truths. Thus infidelity was sown broadcast.
God's word was robbed of its power, and evil spirits worked their will.
History is repeating. With the open Bible before them, and professing to reverence its
teachings, many of the religious leaders of our time are destroying faith in it as the
word of God. They busy themselves with dissecting the word, and set their own opinions
above its plainest statements. In their hands God's word loses its regenerating power.
This is why infidelity runs riot, and iniquity is rife.
When Satan has undermined faith in the Bible, he directs men to other sources for light
and power. Thus he insinuates himself. Those who turn from the plain teaching of Scripture
and the convicting power of God's Holy Spirit are inviting the control of demons.
Criticism and speculation concerning the Scriptures have opened the way for spiritism and
theosophy--those modernized forms of ancient heathenism--to gain a foothold even in the
professed churches of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Side by side with the preaching of the gospel, agencies are at work which are but the
medium of lying spirits. Many a man tampers with these merely from curiosity, but seeing
evidence of the working of a more than human power, he is lured on and on, until he is
controlled by a will stronger than his own. He cannot escape from its mysterious power.
The defenses of the soul are broken down. He has no barrier against sin. When once the
restraints of God's word and His Spirit are rejected, no man knows to what depths of
degradation he may sink. Secret sin or master passion may hold him a captive as helpless
as was the demoniac of Capernaum. Yet his condition is not hopeless.
The means by which we can overcome the wicked one is that by which Christ overcame,--the
power of the word. God does not control our minds without our consent; but if we desire to
know and to do His will, His promises are ours: "Ye shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make you free." "If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of
the teaching." John 8:32; 7:17, R. V. Through faith in these promises, every man may
be delivered from the snares of error and the control of sin.
Every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over him. None have fallen so
low, none are so vile, but that they can find deliverance in Christ. The demoniac, in
place of prayer, could utter only the words of Satan; yet the heart's unspoken appeal was
heard. No cry from a soul in need, though it fail of utterance in words, will be unheeded.
Those who will consent to enter into covenant relation with the God of heaven are not left
to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own
nature. They are invited by the Saviour, "Let him take hold of My strength, that he
may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me." Isa. 27:5. The spirits of
darkness will battle for the soul once under their dominion, but angels of God will
contend for that soul with prevailing power. The Lord says, "Shall the prey be taken
from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? . . . Thus saith the Lord, Even the
captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be
delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy
children." Isa. 49:24, 25.
While the congregation in the synagogue were still spellbound with awe, Jesus withdrew to
the home of Peter for a little rest. But here also a shadow had fallen. The mother of
Peter's wife lay sick, stricken with a "great fever." Jesus rebuked the disease,
and the sufferer arose, and ministered to the wants of the Master and His disciples.
Tidings of the work of Christ spread rapidly throughout Capernaum. For fear of the rabbis,
the people dared not come for healing upon the Sabbath; but no sooner had the sun
disappeared below the horizon than there was a great commotion. From the homes, the shops,
the market places, the inhabitants of the city pressed toward the humble dwelling that
sheltered Jesus. The sick were brought upon couches, they came leaning upon staffs, or,
supported by friends, they tottered feebly into the Saviour's presence.
Hour after hour they came and went; for none could know whether tomorrow would find the
Healer still among them. Never before had Capernaum witnessed a day like this. The air was
filled with the voice of triumph and shouts of deliverance. The Saviour was joyful in the
joy He had awakened. As He witnessed the sufferings of those who had come to Him, His
heart was stirred with sympathy, and He rejoiced in His power to restore them to health
and happiness.
Not until the last sufferer had been relieved did Jesus cease His work. It was far into
the night when the multitude departed, and silence settled down upon the home of Simon.
The long, exciting day was past, and Jesus sought rest. But while the city was still
wrapped in slumber, the Saviour, "rising up a great while before day, . . . went out,
and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."
Thus were spent the days in the earthly life of Jesus. He often dismissed His disciples to
visit their homes and rest; but He gently resisted their efforts to draw Him away from His
labors. All day He toiled,
teaching the ignorant, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, feeding the multitude;
and at the eventide or in the early morning, He went away to the sanctuary of the
mountains for communion with His Father. Often He passed the entire night in prayer and
meditation, returning at daybreak to His work among the people.
Early in the morning, Peter and his companions came to Jesus, saying that already the
people of Capernaum were seeking Him. The disciples had been bitterly disappointed at the
reception which Christ had met hitherto. The authorities at Jerusalem were seeking to
murder Him; even His own townsmen had tried to take His life; but at Capernaum He was
welcomed with joyful enthusiasm, and the hopes of the disciples kindled anew. It might be
that among the liberty-loving Galileans were to be found the supporters of the new
kingdom. But with surprise they heard Christ's words, "I must preach the kingdom of
God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent."
In the excitement which then pervaded Capernaum, there was danger that the object of His
mission would be lost sight of. Jesus was not satisfied to attract attention to Himself
merely as a wonder worker or a healer of physical diseases. He was seeking to draw men to
Him as their Saviour. While the people were eager to believe that He had come as a king,
to establish an earthly reign, He desired to turn their minds away from the earthly to the
spiritual. Mere worldly success would interfere with His work.
And the wonder of the careless crowd jarred upon His spirit. In His life no self-assertion
mingled. The homage which the world gives to position, or wealth, or talent, was foreign
to the Son of man. None of the means that men employ to win allegiance or command homage
did Jesus use. Centuries before His birth, it had been prophesied of Him,
"He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A
bruised reed shall He not break, and the dimly burning flax shall He not quench: He shall
bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set
judgment in the earth." Isa. 42:2-4, margin.
The Pharisees sought distinction by their scrupulous ceremonialism, and the ostentation of
their worship and charities. They proved their zeal for religion by making it the theme of
discussion. Disputes between opposing sects were loud and long, and it was not unusual to
hear on the streets the voice of angry controversy from learned doctors of the law.
In marked contrast to all this was the life of Jesus. In that life no noisy disputation,
no ostentatious worship, no act to gain applause, was ever witnessed. Christ was hid in
God, and God was revealed in the character of His Son. To this revelation Jesus desired
the minds of the people to be directed, and their homage to be given.
The Sun of Righteousness did not burst upon the world in splendor, to dazzle the senses
with His glory. It is written of Christ, "His going forth is prepared as the
morning." Hosea 6:3. Quietly and gently the daylight breaks upon the earth,
dispelling the shadow of darkness, and waking the world to life. So did the Sun of
Righteousness arise, "with healing in His wings." Mal. 4:2.
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