Skip to main content

59. Peter's Mother-In-Law


Matthew 8:14-15, Mark 1:29-31, Luke 4:38-39,
Key Verse: So He went to her, took her hand and helped her up.  The fever left her and she began to wait on them. 
Mark 1:31

It's hard for us, today, in the age of antibiotics to appreciate the seriousness of this situation.  When we have a fever we usually just go to bed and sleep it off or call the doctor and get a prescription for penicillin and keep on going.  A little bug isn't about to keep us from our responsibilities. 

We only need look back, however to our grandparent's generation to understand how serious this fever may have been.  I'm thinking of the flu epidemic of 1918-19 that spread world-wide in which many people died.  When we remember that George Washington died from a strep throat, do we really need to look any further?  Infections, childhood diseases, bad drinking water, were all threats to life itself.  We forget that in our age of modern medicine, but travel to a third world country and we can be immediately back in the reality of Jesus' day.  Luke, the doctor, lets us know that the fever was "high," and in so doing, he is letting us know just how serious the situation was for this woman. 

It is interesting that this woman did not ask personally for healing.  Perhaps she couldn't.  High fevers often cause delirium or a lack of awareness of one's surroundings.  We don't know if this was the case or not, but it is possible. 

Jesus simply healed her.  Luke says that He rebuked the fever, but Matthew and Mark say that He simply touched her hand.  This may mean that, if Jesus did say anything, it was done quietly; perhaps so that He wouldn't startle her?  Who knows?  There is no comment about faith here by Jesus; no assuring that God gets the glory, just a simple touch and that is all that was needed.  Yet, even a touch is personal.  It is an act of love.  It is an act of reaching beyond yourself, outside of your comfort zone to someone who is in need. 

Then, there is the response of the mother-in-law to being healed.  She understands this act of love and appreciation and returns the favor by serving Jesus as her way of giving thanks.  This too may be a bit hard for us to imagine.  While it is true that in our day of good health care, it is hard to imagine seeing a fever as a real threat, we at least enjoy often laying in bed for a day to recover and get our full strength back.  That obviously is not the case here.  No recovery time was needed.  She was good to go as soon as Jesus touched her.  She didn't take that energy and do something selfish like go shopping or take off to visit a friend.  She turned right around and gave back to Jesus what she could.  Both she and Jesus understood the language of love and nothing more needed to be said. 

This healing also may have served to encourage Peter's faith in two ways.  First of all, it served as further proof that Jesus really was who He would later claim to be.  Secondly, if Peter really did follow Jesus and become a fisher of men, he was going to be leaving his household behind.  Perhaps his mother-in-law was essential to a smooth running home.  Her illness, or death, would have made it very hard for Peter to leave and follow the master.  Jesus eased that burden of concern by simply eliminating it. 

How do we show thanks for what the Lord has done for us?

Hymn: (chorus) "Give Thanks" 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

October 27 Save the Glaze for the Bunny

Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips of an evil heart. A malicious man disguises himself with his lips. But in his heart, he harbors deceit. Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it. If a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him. ~Proverbs 26:23-28 For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. T...
Post a Comment
Read more

July 16 Thick Skinned Love

Whoever covers over an offence promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. ~Proverbs 17:9 If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. ~Matthew 18:15  The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ~1 Peter 4:7-8  Being offended seems to be the battle cry of the day. Instead of freedom of speech, everyone has the right not to be offended. If one is offended, then one has the right to exact vengeance on the offender because, of course, the offender KNEW that he or she was being offensive and just didn’t care. Is that how you see much of society behaving today?  There seems to be all of this offending and finger pointing that just keeps growing and growing. Nothing is being resolved, just more blame that grows louder a...
Post a Comment
Read more

174. Pleading for the Fig Tree

Proverbs 27:18 , Luke 13:6-9 Key Verse: He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored. Proverbs 27:18 We have here three main characters: a master, who acquired the tree in hopes of eventually enjoying its fruit, a servant, who looks to the tree to reflect his care and attention, and lastly, the tree itself. The master has the right to expect his investment to pay off. The servant, who has obviously put much effort into the tree, would also like to see fruit. The servant's interest is not only to show his own talent in gardening, but because he wants to please his master. Both the servant and the master are dependent upon the tree to do what it was designed to do. Their little parable is an interesting way for Jesus to finish off His exhortation to, "repent or perish."  God is the Master. He had a purpose for you before you were even born. ( Jeremiah 1:5 & Psalm 139:16 ) He planted you on this earth to ful...
Post a Comment
Read more