In Luke 4:40 and 41 much activity is presented by the blanket statement that Jesus healed many diseases and cast out demons. Whenever He had what might be termed a healing service, to which the sick were brought, He always healed all of them. Note the language: "And when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them." This He did by His mighty power. Every trace of the disease was removed, and there was complete restoration in each case instantly. There was no room for any doubt concerning the completeness of the cures wrought. There were no exceptions to the rule that Jesus healed all their diseases.

Moreover, Jesus cast demons out of many. These came forth, crying out and saying "Thou Art the Son of God." Whenever a demon left a person it cried out; "Thou art the Son of God." Jesus rebuked these evil spirits and would not let them testify concerning their knowledge that He was the Messiah of Israel. God revealed later on to the Apostle Peter that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, and he confessed it (Matt. 16:13-20). John the Baptist had testified that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. Andrew accepted that testimony and passed it on to Peter, whom he brought to Jesus. Then Peter became a follower of the Lord Jesus. At some time, we cannot say definitely when, God revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. When he made this confession, the Lord Jesus said that no man made that revelation, but God the Father alone did it. The testimony of evil spirits regarding the nature of Jesus Christ and His personality was obnoxious to the Son of God.

In verse 42 we are told "And when it was day, he came out and went into a desert place and the multitudes sought after him, and came unto him, and would have stayed him." He went to a desert place, that is, one that was not inhabited. The question immediately arises, Why did He go out there? This information is given us in the parallel account found in Mark 1:35-39. Here we find that He went out to this solitary place in order that He might pray. Prayer figured very largely in the life of our Lord. Before He selected His Apostles, He continued all night in prayer. In the forecast concerning His personal life (Isa., chap. 50) we see that He would arise every morning and would have a time of prayer, communion, and fellowship with God. Thus He got in touch in the most intimate way with God every morning, and then it was revealed to Him what He should do and say, and how He should handle each situation. Not only did He pray early in the morning and during certain nights, but there were other times when He gave Himself to prayer. He realized that prayer changes things, and that prayer brings victory.

Peter and the others who were with him went out and found the Lord in this solitary place praying. They insisted that He remain in Capernaum and not leave the community. The popular excitement concerning Him was running very high, and the people wanted to hear more from Him.

But our Lord did not come to satisfy idle curiosity. He therefore said: "I must preach the good tidings of the "kingdom of God to the other cities also: for therefore was I sent" (4:43). John the Baptist broke the silence of the four hundred years of the inter-Biblical period by announcing that the time had been fulfilled, and that the kingdom of God had come to hand. What he meant by "the kingdom of God" was the spiritual kingdom that was foretold would be established by the Messiah when He appeared the first time. A close study of such passages as Isaiah 42:1-4 shows that the Messiah was scheduled to come to launch a preaching ministry and to carry it on by the proclamation of the truth. Outwardly, it was foretold that this movement would seem to be a failure, but that it would not be. Neither would the Son of God be discouraged by outward appearances or circumstances. Messiah, according to this passage, would appear with well-defined, definite, political ideals--namely: to establish justice in the earth, a kingdom of righteousness in which the will of God will be done as it is done in heaven. He starts out upon His world campaign by preaching, not in public places, but in those places that are recognized as places for worship and for the proclaiming of the Word of God. He would not be a rabble-rouser, neither would He, according to this same prediction, be a dictator--a Mussolini, a Hitler, or a Stalin, who crush the bruised reed and quench the burning wick. But He carries on this preaching ministry of the kingdom of God in its spiritual sense throughout the centuries. Since He is establishing this spiritual kingdom, the nations upon His first appearance do not receive His law, but must wait until His second coming when He will establish His reign of righteousness upon the earth.

Jesus preached the good tidings of the kingdom of heaven, or the kingdom of God. (These two terms are used interchangeably in the Gospel records.) Philip preached the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and the kingdom in Samaria (Acts 8:12). Paul proclaimed the gospel of the grace of God and of the kingdom also (Acts 20:24,25). Jesus therefore on His first tour of Galilee preached the good tidings concerning the kingdom of God, always ministering the Word in the synagogue, as we see in Luke 4:44.

THE FIRST of our Lord's tours of Galilee is summarized in 4:42-44. But in 5:12-39 we have examples of cures which Jesus effected on this tour, as well as His call of Matthew and His treatment of the question of fasting. To these let us now turn for a brief survey.

The cleansing of a certain leper, on this first tour is mentioned in Matthew 8:1-4 and Mark 1:40-45, as, well as in Luke 5:12-16. It is very instructive, and enlightening to read the three accounts, for each one gives some little detail that possibly the others do not. The spirit manifested by this poor, unfortunate leper was indeed marvelous, for he said: "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean" (Luke 5:12). Leprosy is a most dreadful and horrible disease. All of life's values practically vanish whenever one is thus afflicted. This man had not given up hope. He had absolute faith in Christ and His ability to cleanse. The only question in his mind was whether or not it was Christ's will to make Him clean. Jesus then stretched forth His hand, touched him, and said: "I will; be thou made clean." Immediately the leprosy departed from the man. Then the Lord instructed him to go and show himself to the priest and offer for his cleansing that which Moses had commanded for a testimony unto the priest, charging him to tell no man. But the report concerning the healing and cleansing of this leper spread throughout the adjoining territory. Then great multitudes came together to hear Him and to be healed of their infirmities. On certain occasions Jesus would heal someone and then insist that they keep quiet and not say anything about the miracle whatsoever. In accordance with the requirements of the law Jesus commanded the leper to go to Jerusalem to the priest to be examined according to the law and thus be pronounced clean. When the report gathered great throngs together to hear Jesus, He withdrew Himself into a desert place and prayed. The Lord knew that that was a special time of crisis. Therefore prayer was the thing upper-most in His mind at the time. Prayer changes things; prayer brings victory.

Another notable case of restoration to health when Jesus was on this tour was that of the healing of the paralytic. According to Matthew 8:5 this case of healing occurred in Capernaum--doubtless after Jesus completed His first tour, which probably took something like six months. On the occasion of Christ's healing of this poor man, there were present Pharisees and doctors of the law, sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem (5:17). They were there for no good purpose. It is evident from all the facts which we know that they were there to criticize and to try to counteract whatever influence Jesus might have with the people.

Jesus was in a house, which was crowded with people. The throng was so very great that the men who bore the paralytic could not enter the house. They therefore went up on top of the building, dug through the ceiling, and lowered the palsied man on a couch into the midst of the room before Jesus. He, seeing the faith of the man and of those who bore him, said: "Man, thy sins are forgiven thee." At this statement the scribes, Pharisees, and doctors of the law became offended. They reasoned in their hearts saying: "Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" They were correct in saying that God alone could forgive sins. But, not knowing Christ and not knowing the Scriptures, they did not recognize Him as God. Had they known Him, and had they known the Scriptures, they would have recognized instantly that He was the Holy One of God and that He was not blaspheming in forgiving sins, but was simply exercising His prerogatives as being divine.

Jesus therefore reprimanded these men for reasoning in their hearts as they did. In trying to bring the light to their benighted hearts, He said: "Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk? 24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he said unto him that was palsied), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thy house" (5:23,24). The Lord changed His language and commanded the man to rise, take his bed, and go to his house in order to show His carping critics that He, the Son of man, had power to forgive sins. "And amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God; and they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day" (5:26). They had indeed seen strange things that day!

After the healing of this paralytic in Capernaum, Jesus went forth from the place and came to another place where was seated a man by the name of Levi, a publican. The Romans levied heavy taxes upon the Jews. Then they farmed out the privilege of collecting these taxes to rich men, who sublet the privilege to other men. Sometimes, in turn, these subcontractors let small portions of their purchases out to still smaller and less influential men. Very frequently the taxgatherers were unprincipled and resorted to any methods or means to extort from the people unjust and unrighteous levies. As a class, therefore, the taxgatherers were despised and hated by the people. Of course, not all taxgatherers were of this character. I am sure that Matthew, whose other name was Levi, was not of this type. Had he been of that character, the Lord would not have chosen him to be one of the Apostles and would not have permitted him to write the Gospel which bears his name.

When the Lord called Matthew to follow Him, he immediately forsook all and did so. This is found in Luke 5:27,28. Following the call (Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell us), Levi, or Matthew, made a great feast for our Lord. Luke's account is found in 5:29-39. If we had only the records of Mark and Luke, we would think that Matthew made this feast immediately after he received his call from the Lord. But when we look at the Gospel According to Matthew, it is very clear that the feast came later on in the ministry of our Lord. It is quite likely that Mark and Luke simply mentioned the fact that Matthew made the feast and connected it with the call of Matthew, simply to finish that episode in his account. Such a practice as that is common among historians.

Finally, the matter of fasting was brought to the attention of our Lord for His opinion. His informants said that John's disciples often fasted and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees, but that the disciples of Jesus did not. The Lord explained the reason for His disciples' not fasting by calling attention to the fact that He was still with them, and that there was no occasion under these conditions for them to fast. They were present with Him and could make all of their wants known to Him and were in such close touch and fellowship that it was not necessary for them to fast. But he assured them that the time would come--after His departure--when they would need to pray and fast in order that their voices might be heard on High.

Our Lord followed this discussion with a parable concerning patching an old garment with a new piece of cloth and also putting new wine into old wineskins, or old bottles. It is inappropriate, according to His teaching, to put something that is new, virile, and strong upon that which is old and weak. By these parables our Lord taught the lesson that He was not trying to patch up old garments of ceremonialism and the observances of laws and ceremonies with new patches of revelation and regulations. The movement which He inaugurated was something entirely new and different from that with which His auditors were acquainted--though the gospel with all of its life and power was clearly foretold by Moses and the prophets. Christianity is something new in the world. It is a new life, a new relation to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. It should not therefore be attached to the oldness of the letter. It was therefore a mistake to think that the praying and the agonizing as practiced by the Pharisees should have any part or lot with that which the Lord was bringing to men. Christ brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for all men who will accept.