Introduction
Jesus went to the synagogue in Capernaum on the Sabbath and taught the people in the synagogue with his authoritative words. And he drove out a demon, an evil spirit in the synagogue and healed a man possessed by a demon. People were surprised to hear Jesus' authoritative teachings, and they were even more surprised by his authority and power when he commanded and cast out a demon, an unclean spirit. So the news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding area.
I. Jesus’ healing Simon’s mother-in-law (vv. 38-39)
Sabbath worship usually ends around noon. After the Sabbath service, they each go home and have lunch with their families. Perhaps Simon and his brother Andrew invited Jesus to their home. According to literature, Simon's house was about 30 yards from the synagogue. Simon is Peter's original name.
But what kind of person is Simon Peter? Peter was always the type of person to act first and think later. So, it is highly likely that he invited Jesus to his home without even discussing it with his wife. Perhaps he trusted his mother-in-law, who undoubtedly had better cooking skills than his wife, and invited guests. He might have thought that if his mother-in-law served food to Jesus, Jesus would have liked it and that it would be also be an opportunity for his mother-in-law to meet Jesus. Jesus followed Simon into the house (v. 38a).
But something unexpected happened. Simon's mother-in-law is in bed suffering from a high fever (v. 38b). Perhaps Peter didn't know that. She seemed to have suddenly caught a fever. Simon's wife must have been very heartbroken because of her suddenly ill mother. Simon's children would have hoped that their grandmother would get better quickly, and Simon and Andre, who found out later that their mother-in-law was sick, would have been equally worried.
What we can see here is that illness is never a problem of one individual. If a family has a seriously ill patient, the entire family must take care of the patient. It also causes a lot of disruption in daily life. Especially if the patient's illness continues for a long time, the atmosphere at home becomes depressed and lacks energy. In this way, each family's happiness and unhappiness are directly linked to each other. I hope that no one in your family is seriously ill. I wish you all good health.
Because Peter's mother-in-law was suffering from a highs fever, the atmosphere at home would have been chaotic, and they would not have been in a good position to welcome Jesus. How embarrassed and sorry Peter must have been to invite his guests. Simon must have been at a loss, not knowing what to do. However, those who saw the scene asked Jesus to heal Simon's mother-in-law in the hope that she would get better (v. 38c). Just now, people clearly saw Jesus in the synagogue, commanding and casting out evil spirits with authority and power, and healing a man possessed by a demon, an unclean spirit. That's why people asked Jesus to use His authority and power to heal Simon's mother-in-law, who was suffering from a high fever.
At that time, Jesus heard the people asking, bent over her, rebuked the fever, and healed her (v. 39a). Mark 1:31 says, “He went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her.” And in Matthew 8:15 says, “He touched her hand and the fever left her.” To summarize the contents of the Gospel, Jesus went to where Simon's mother-in-law was lying and first took her hand and touched her. Jesus took pity on her as she suffered from her fever. And He gently helped Peter's mother-in-law up, scolding the fever. Even though Peter's mother-in-law did not ask for it and someone else asked for it, Jesus accepted it. Looking at this, we can see that when we pray for other people's illnesses or difficulties, God listens to our prayers.
The woman suffering from a fever would have felt the fever leaving her and felt cool the moment Jesus touched her and rebuked the fever, and at the same time, she would have been able to experience Jesus' big and soft loving touch. The gospel does not only cure illness. The gospel is that God loved the world so much that he gave his only begotten Son. It is more important to experience the love of the Lord than to cure an illness. Even if the disease is cured, it can recur again. Disease does not leave us as long as we live. However, once we experience the love of Jesus, we can live forever with the Lord no matter what adversity may come our way.
How did she react after experiencing amazing healing love? Peter’s mother-in-law “got up at once and began to wait on them” (v. 39b). She would have gone to the kitchen, put out everything she had, cooked with all her heart, and served Jesus' group. How joyful and happy she must have been! Her service did not end there. The tense of the phrase “to wait” is present tense. Peter's mother-in-law continued to serve them. This means that Peter's mother-in-law continued to serve Jesus and his disciples. That's right. Those who have received the grace of the Lord do not stop at just volunteering or donating to repay the grace. Those who truly receive the grace of the Lord serve their entire lives from the moment they receive grace until they die. It is to continue to serve the Lord and those whom the Lord loves. This is the evidence of those who have truly received grace.
Among those who profess to believe in Jesus, I see many people who see no change in their lives. The most obvious change in the lives of those who have been saved and those who have received grace is service. A person who is moved by the love of the Lord and serves the Lord and silently serves those whom the Lord loves is a person who has truly received grace and been saved. People who have not received grace quickly retreat from the field of service when something difficult happens at church. However, those who truly receive grace look only to the Lord and serve to the end without looking at others. When Apostle Paul experienced the grace of Jesus Christ and the love of God that saved him, the worst of sinners, he passionately preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and lived a life dedicated to doing this, saying, “The love of Christ compels me,” even when he faced all kinds of tribulations.
II. Jesus healing various kinds of sick people (vv. 40-41)
While they were chatting and resting while eating lunch carefully prepared by Simon's mother-in-law, time passed and the sun was slowly setting over the western ridge. When people heard about Jesus, they brought all who had various kinds of sickness to him (v. 40a). Why did the people not bring the sick to Jesus earlier, but only after sunset? Because that day was the Sabbath. A Jewish day begins at sunset and ends at sunset the next day. Early on it was still the Sabbath. Jews could not walk far or carry anything on the Sabbath. Even sickness could not be cured on the Sabbath. Because of these Sabbath regulations, people waited until the Sabbath was over.
People brought various kinds of sick people. Simon's house would have been crowded with all kinds of sick people, the people who brought them, and the people who had gathered to watch. At that time, Jesus laid his hands on the sick and healed them one by one (v. 40b). Here, ordination means exchange. The healing power of Jesus is passed on to the sick, and the illness and pain of the sick are transferred to Jesus. So, Matthew 8:17, which records the same thing, says, “This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.’” In the end, Jesus suffered and died on the cross in place of sinners, bearing the suffering of the people.
Not only that. Jesus also drove out demons from many people (v. 41a). What an exciting evening it must have been. People who had suffered from various diseases were restored to good health, and people who had been possessed by demons and had lost consciousness came to their senses and spoke clearly. Those who saw the sight would have been enthusiastic. Think about it. How happy everyone must have been, including those who had recovered from their illness, those who brought the sick, and those who came to see them. How happy would they have been? I pray that we too can enjoy this kind of happiness in the Lord.
But look at verse 41. “Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.” The demons recognized Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. How did they find out? Demons were originally angels who served Jesus in heaven. Demons are angels who fell and were cast out of heaven. Therefore, it was only natural for the demons to recognize Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus did not allow demons to speak about his identity. Therefore, we do not need to listen to any nonsense that demons speak. Sometimes, there is no need to listen to what fortune tellers or shamans say, even if they say something that is true. Because even if it seems plausible, it ultimately deceives and lies and leads people to destruction.
Jesus healed all the sick people who came to him. So what about today? If we pray to be healed, does God heal everything? Even at that time, Jesus did not heal 100% of all the sick. When Jesus went to Nazareth, his hometown where he grew up, he could not do any miracles because the people did not believe, so he only laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them (Mark 6:5).
The purpose of Jesus healing the sick and casting out demons was to fulfill the prophecy made by the prophet Isaiah. The fact that Jesus made the blind see, made the lame walk, cleansed the lepers, opened the ears of the deaf, raised the dead, and spread the gospel to the poor shows that Jesus was the Messiah sent by God. It was to make people realize the truth (Isaiah 35:4-6, Matthew 11:5-6, Luke 7:21-23).
In fact, the reason Jesus came was to heal people’s sick souls. For people, it is important to be cured of illness and get rid of demons, but what is more important is to receive salvation for one's soul. By curing physical illnesses, Jesus helps us believe that Jesus is the Christ whom God promised to send, and that He is the Savior of the world.
Conclusion
What led you to believe in Jesus Christ as your savior? If you had lived in Korea without immigrating to the United States, if you had lived without any health problems, if your children had not had any problems, if you had not had any major accidents or chronic illnesses, you might be living without believing in Jesus Christ.
However, God gives people various problems in their lives and makes them believe in Jesus Christ because of those problems. And not all problems can be solved at once by believing in Jesus Christ. Even if we believe in Jesus Christ, we may have a chronic illness or various problems.
Look at Apostle Paul. There was a thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment him. The pain was so severe that he pleaded with the Lord three times to take the thorn away from him, but God did not answer his prayer. The Lord said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, For my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul realized that because of the thorn, the power of Christ was with him and enabled him to preach the gospel with power.
Dear believers, do you have a chronic illness or problem for which your prayers are not answered? I pray that you will persevere until the end and live a victorious life, believing that if you think and embrace the thorn that God has permitted, through it, your faith will grow, God's power will be revealed, and God will be glorified.
