My Corner Online

 

Reading through the Gospels 42

Mark 1:29-34, Matthew 8:14-17, Luke 4:38-41

 

Mark 1:29-34, Matthew 8:14-17, Luke 4:38-41 JESUS HEALING MANY

Jesus, James, and John went into Simon [Peter] and Andrew's house, where Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with fever. Jesus took her by the hand, lifted her up, and she was healed. She began to serve all four of them. As the sun was setting (Luke 4:40), people had heard of the healing and the whole city brought all who were sick and oppressed by demons to be healed. Jesus healed many who were sick. Jesus did not permit the demons to speak because they knew him.

 

Jesus healed with just the touch of His hand. In previous stories, we read about the authority of God's voice healing, but in other stories, Jesus merely touched with authority. However, in Luke, we read that Jesus "rebuked the fever." So it would appear that in this story, Jesus used both touch and words. The crowd of people were healed by Jesus laying his hand on them.

 

She was immediately so restored to health that she was able to immediately begin serving the four. When I am sick, even though I am healed, I often still feel too drained and exhausted to do too much, so Jesus would have even given her energy in restoration. When I am blessed by God, my response should be like her, to in turn serve Him. In serving Jesus, I show through my actions, not just words, how grateful I am for what Jesus has done for me. Also, Jesus came to her in her home; she did not come to Him. That makes me feel Jesus's kindness and presence for me.

 

How many people lived in the city? I cannot imagine that many people gathered at the door of Simon and Andrew's house. The significance of the people coming at sunset is that after sunset, the Sabbath 24 hours were over (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday). In Matthew 12:10 and Luke 13:14, we read that the Jewish leaders declared that it was against the law to be healed on the Sabbath. It was also against the law to travel on the Sabbath. In keeping with the law, the people came to Jesus after sunset.

 

Since this was Simon Peter's mother-in-law, we know that he was married. This puts perspective on the story of the four fisherman immediately leaving everything, including his wife. This also gives us perspective that the four disciples did return home to visit family. It makes me think of our military who serve, but then take leave to visit home.

 

In Mark and Matthew, Jesus healed "many," but not all, leaving me to wonder if Jesus did not choose to heal some of them. However, in Luke, Jesus "laid His hands on every one of them and they were healed." There is no reference to Jews or Gentiles, indicating Jesus does not discriminate and welcomes all.

 

God has control over the devil and the demons. Jesus did not "permit" or allow them to speak. If they knew who He was, why did He not want them to tell everyone? By not permitting them to speak, Jesus was showing His authority and power over them. Jesus did not need the demons to tell people who He was when Jesus's own actions showed the people who He was, and His actions still do show who He is.

 

In Matthew 8:17, "This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases." (Isaiah 53) What a comfort to me to know that, with His Will, Jesus may bear any disease I may have, putting them on himself and removing them from me. Now each time I am healed of an illness, I can feel my Lord's loving sacrifice for me as he bears my illness as I begin to feel better.

 

In Luke 4:41, the demons exclaim, "You are the Son of God! "  Once again, we see even the devil acknowledging and believing in Jesus.