4:38-39 Why did Jesus "rebuke" the fever in Peter's mother-in-law?
4:38-39 Why did Jesus "rebuke" the fever in Peter's mother-in-law?
Peter's mother-in-law's fever is also mentioned in Mt 8:14-15 and Mk 1:30-31, but Luke is the only one who records that Jesus rebuked the fever for her healing. Rebuked means to admonish strongly, with urgency, authority.
Here it implies censure, strong condemnation (as of demons). Jesus rebuked the fever here as He rebuked demons elsewhere in scripture (cp Mt 8:26; 17:14-18; Mk 1:23-25; Lk 4:40-41).
Although scriptures do not teach that there were actual demons involved in Peter's mother-in-law's fever, it is obvious that Jesus saw it as the work of the devil and rebuked it accordingly (cp Ac 10:38 with 1Jn 3:8).
Oppressed in Ac 10:38 denotes being made ill. We learn from this that all sickness is of the devil.
4:40-41 See comments on
Mt 8:16-17.