When A Fever Is More Than A Fever

Scripture: Mark 1:29-34

Theme: Healing/Wholeness

Title: When Is a Fever More than a Fever

This sermon centers on Simon’s Peter mother-in-law’s fever and what it really meant to her, to Jesus and to all of us.

INTRO:

Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Cleveland Clinic describes a fever this way:

A fever is when your body temperature is higher than your normal average temp. Most providers say a fever starts at 100.0 F (37.8 C) or 100.4 F (38 C). When you have a fever, it’s your body’s normal response to fighting an infection or illness. Fevers usually aren’t a serious concern. They typically go away when the infection passes.

Wikipedia give this information concerning a fever:

A fever can be caused by many medical conditions ranging from non-serious to life-threatening. This includes viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections—such as influenza, the common cold, meningitis, urinary tract infections, appendicitis, Lassa (hemorrhagic fever,) , COVID-19, and malaria. Non-infectious causes include vasculitis, deep vein thrombosis, connective tissue disease, side effects of a medication or a vaccination, and cancer. (Wikipedia)

John Hopkins Medical Center provides this advice for treating a fever:

You can treat a fever with acetaminophen or ibuprofen in dosages advised by your healthcare provider. Please understand that switching between giving acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (aspirin) may lead to adverse side effects. Additional note: You are to never give aspirin to a child or young adult who has a fever.

You can try a lukewarm bath which may reduce the fever, but alcohol rubdowns are no longer recommended.

Now, that maybe more than you ever thought you ever needed to know about a fever – especially in a church setting and yet that is what John Mark wants us to focus on this morning.

So, let’s see what is really going on in this passage:

I. At times a fever is more than just a fever

Doesn’t it seem rather odd to you that after writing about Jesus’ encounter with a demon in the synagogue that Mark shares with us this little story concerning Peter’s mother-in-law having a fever?

I know it has been said that the information that Mark was using was from Simon Peter but even taking that into account, it seems rather odd to go from a demon in a worship service to a little old lady dealing with a 100+ temperature.

Surely, her family or friends could have just given her a little local herbal medicine – some type of tea or even a glass of wine to help her sleep, hoping that she would feel better in the morning.

However, this is one of those times that we need to do a deep dive into what was really going on with this woman and why Jesus immediately goes from the synagogue to see her.

Sometimes a fever is much more than just a fever.

The truth is having a fever was sometimes seen to be more dangerous than either being oppressed or possessed by a demon.

Yep, you heard me right.

Sometimes having a fever was seen as being more dangerous than being either oppressed or possessed by a demon.

It all goes back to some verses we find in the Torah.

It goes back to Leviticus 26:16, Deuteronomy 28:22 along with some rabbinical teachings and the writings of one well known Jewish philosopher at the time by the name of Philo.

Leviticus 26:16 reads like this:

“Then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength. You will plant seed in vain because your enemies will eat it.”

Dt. 28:22 goes like this:

22 The LORD will strike you with wasting disease and with fever, inflammation and fiery heat, and with drought and with blight and with mildew. They shall pursue you until you perish.

Coupled with this was some rabbinical teaching that stated this premise:

“Greater is the miracle wrought for the sick than for Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Sadrach, Meshach and Abednego). (For) that of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (concerned) a fire kindled by a man, which all can extinguish; whilst that of a sick person is (in connection with) a heavenly fire, and who can extinguish that.”1

And Philio was publicly writing and declaring that a fever could very well be a punishment by the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY because of a person’s own wickedness and disobedience.

In other words, a fever could be more than just a person having a little heat. It could be and was viewed by many as a sign that Hell was coming a little early for some people. That a prolonged fever was a definitive sign of a person’s wickedness and God’s judgment upon that person.