PER057

The man with the unclean spirit

The article examines the episode in which Jesus encounters a possessed man in the synagogue in Capernaum. Through his word, he frees the man, shocking the witnesses and strengthening recognition of his divine authority. The event marks a turning point in his reputation in the region, illustrating his dominion over unclean spirits.

3 min Jesus unclean spirit Capernaum synagogue miracle 2 verses 2 books

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Biblical texts

Matthew

Matthew (King James Version) not cited in the book

Mark

Mark 1.23-28 (King James Version)

And there was in their a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

Saying, 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.

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org

Luke

Luke 4.33-36 (King James Version)

And in the there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,

Saying, 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.

And Jesus rebuked him, 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.

And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org

John

John (King James Version) not cited in the book

Technical details

Location: In the in the town of Capernaum in Galilee

Date: Saturday, March 9, AD 31. They will then leave for Jerusalem for the Passover pilgrimage

Method: We continue with Mark

Note on the approach: Mark's account is confirmed by Luke

While Jesus the Messiah was teaching, he was interrupted by a visibly disturbed man.

The man with the unclean spirit

Comments

Many teachers could instruct Jewish worshippers in the , but freeing a man from an unclean spirit was something no one but God himself could accomplish!

All the worshippers knew this sick man, possessed by an unclean spirit according to Mark and Luke. Seeing him delivered in this way, solely through the word of this new Teacher, was about to cause a revolution in the town and the surrounding region.

The people were beginning to wonder about him. No one before had performed such wonders or spoken in this way. His life inspired respect; he spoke to ordinary people, the poor and the marginalised. Those who came to know him were beginning to love him.

In recounting this episode, Mark probably sought to highlight the demons' submission to Jesus the Messiah, a perspective confirmed by Luke. It is interesting to note that the demons recognised Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus ordered them to be silent. Clearly, this man's cries disrupted the service. This episode left a deep impression on the witnesses.

The Teacher's reputation would spread rapidly, though it was still confined to the region of Capernaum in Galilee.

L’homme à l’esprit impur. L'article examine l'épisode où Jésus rencontre un homme possédé dans la synagogue de Capernaüm. Par sa parole, il libère l'homme, ce qui choque les témoins et renforce la reconnaissance de son autorité divine. L'événement marque un tournant pour sa notoriété dans la région, illustrant sa domination sur les esprits impurs. Commentaires. De nombreux enseignants étaient capables d'instruire les fidèles juifs dans la synagogue, mais libérer un homme d'un esprit impur était une tâche que personne, à part Dieu lui-même, ne pouvait accomplir ! Tous les fidèles connaissaient cet homme malade, possédé par un esprit impur selon Marc et Luc. Le voir ainsi délivré uniquement par la parole de ce nouveau Maître était sur le point de créer une révolution dans la ville et sa région. La population commençait à s'interroger sur lui. Personne auparavant n'avait accompli de tels prodiges ni parlé de cette manière. Sa vie inspirait le respect ; il s'adressait au peuple, aux pauvres, aux marginaux. Ceux qui le découvraient commençaient à l'aimer. Marc, en relatant cet épisode, cherchait probablement à mettre en évidence la soumission des démons au Messie Jésus, une perspective confirmée par Luc. Il est intéressant de noter que les démons reconnaissaient Jésus comme le Fils de Dieu. Jésus leur ordonnait de se taire. Il semble évident que les cris de cet homme ont perturbé le bon déroulement de cet office. Cet épisode a marqué profondément l'esprit des témoins. La notoriété du Maître allait se développer rapidement, bien que limitée encore à la région de Capernaüm en Galilée.