Under the power of the devil

It seems strange that one of the readings of Easter proclaims “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all those who were under the power of the devil because God was with him.” This is in fact part of Peter’s message to Cornelius and his household but was read today in our Church on Easter Sunday.

At the funeral, the eulogy summarizes the good deeds of the departed one. On Easter we proclaim the resurrection. Why would we hear about the good deeds as if it were a funeral service? This summary statement of the earthly ministry of Jesus provides a clue to the role of Satan in Luke-Acts. The struggle that is depicted is about authority. The authority of Jesus does not triumph. The authority of Satan is stifled and restricted. The power of Satan is not defeated for all times. For Luke, Satan is still a force in the world.

Copyrighted 2006

Religion

Christianity

Gospel of Luke