Epiphany 5th week
JESUS’ HEALING AUTHORITY
Mark 1:29-39
The gospels mainly concern on Jesus’ salvation event and so hardly mentioned about the family and human relationship. Though there were a few stories about Jesus’ family it was the outskirts of theme and didn’t give any particular meaning in the family relationship. Even the story of Jesus’ family was regarded as outskirt, and so no need to mention about the disciple’s family. In my knowledge there are two family stories of the disciples in the Bible. One was request of mother of James and John to put her sons on high position in the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:35-45) The other is Peter’s mother-in-law’s story we read today.
Today’s story belongs to very early part of Jesus’ public ministry. He called only four disciples and didn’t have any restriction to enter a synagogue. Jesus’ early ministry began from Capernaum, a vicinity of Galilee Lake. Jesus was slowly extending his ministry to other area. Before today’s story Jesus entered into the synagogue in Capernaum and preached the word of God and drove out evil spirit. Coming out from the synagogue Jesus entered into Simon’s house with four disciples, Simon, Andrew, James and John. He was tired due to his hard working in the synagogue and might be wanted to take rest. Then there was Simon’s mother-in-law, having illness. As the people told her status Jesus raised her up by holding her hand. Surprisingly Simon’s mother-in-law was healed immediately and began to wait on Jesus.
Verses 32-34 are dealing with the story of healing many sick people as he had done at the synagogue. The common point of three stories in verses 21-28, 29-31 and 32-34 is testifying one fact that Jesus was with messianic authority. In those days people regarded possessing by evil spirits and sickness as the same. Mark testified any diseases or evil spirits should be surrendered before Jesus’ authority. Interesting point here was that he introduced Simon’s mother-in-law while he was reporting a theological confession, Jesus’ authority. Mark, originally a disciple of Simon Peter was connecting the vivid story heard from Peter with driving out evil spirit.
The situation of today’s story is that Peter’s mother-in-law suffered from fever. We don’t know why Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in her in-law’s house. She might not have any family except her son-in-law. Or came to Capernaum hearing Jesus’ news to heal her disease? Or came here to try to persuade her son-in-law not to leave his family? She might be greatly perplexed hearing Peter’s decision to leave his family in order to be a disciple of Jesus. It could be a cause of her fever.
However, we don’t have much information about Peter’s mother-in-law and so it is almost impossible to guess about her situation any more. The clear point was that she was suffering from serious fever. The text simply says it as fever and doesn’t give many details. There are three styles of fever in Palestine. First is undulant fever which is taken ill when the people get weak or poverty of blood. It repeats several months and if it goes serious way and the patient die. Second is intermittent fever which is similar to typhoid fever. Third is Malaria, causes by a malaria mosquito which brought up in the forest surrounding Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. This disease is accompanying with jaundice and shivering fit and the patient suffers a lot. According to Barclay the British Bible scholar, Peter’s mother-in-law was suffering from Malaria.
The fever of Peter’s wife’s mother was very serious which can be confirmed by the Greek Mark used for ‘in bed’. Mark used ‘Katevkeito’ which signified very dangerous status. Her body was shivering with high fever and sweating a lot and sometimes slipped into a comatose state.
We have to look back our life whether we are living with fever like Peter’s wife’s mother. The terror that occurs off and on signifies the fever of Indian society. The incidents happened by blue bus in metropolitan city, dowry death in rural area, murdering innocent aged people and all the madness occurred by politicians bring us fever. Children’s education, hunting a proper job also is a sort of fever. A shepherd suffered a lot for his son’s admission. Nowadays a shepherdess is suffering from fever every night because of stagnation of her guesthouse business. Another shepherdess is suffering from toothache due to her wisdom teeth. Some brothers are suffering from the shortage of their tuition fee. How can we free from such fever?
People told to Jesus about Peter’s mother-in-law. Jesus went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her. She might not notice Jesus’ touching as she was suffering from a serious fever. She might dimly feel someone reach out his hand. She held the hand unconsciously. The very moment healing power transferred to her and she could get up. A strange thing happened to Peter’s mother-in-law.
This incident is very simple compare to other healing incidents of Jesus. Jesus sometimes prayed or pasted mixing mud with saliva on the eyes of blind or commanded a paralyzed “Get up, take your mat and go.” Or he used a herd of pig to heal a demon possessed man. Minimizing it, at least he said, “Your faith healed you.” However, this time he neither prays nor asking faith but simply hold her hand and helped her up. In Jesus’ times also there were the groups of people who healed the diseases. They did it with sounded magic action. They recited mantras or used a strange picture. Even today some Christian fellowship heals others with such over action. Jesus removed all such superfluity and saved human from their disease with his power. This signifies rightly Jesus’ messianic authority.
Christians believe Jesus has authority to heal high fever even today. However, once it become the matter of our personal or facing real world our faith on Jesus disappears. The fevers in my life, my family, my society and my country seem never goes away. What Christianity had done after entering into India from the beginning? What Jesus have done whom I trusted on from my childhood for my family and my life? Moreover, what Jesus’ authority can do my present problems like pending tuition fee, financial bankrupt in my family and my future? We feel we are suffering alone and Jesus is just like an onlooker. However, a true Christian keeps his faith, trusting Jesus’ authority that works according to his own way. Though I cannot conceive it properly Jesus’ healing touch will come to me and will hold my hand.
.
What was Simon’s mother-in-law’s feeling after healing? Her joy was incomparable with any other things in this world. You also might have such experience that you’ve freed from high fever and headache. Simon’s mother-in-law felt like flying. She might feel love everyone. She might understand everyone as they were without judging them with power or money. This is salvation. It is an entry to new world of joy. Likewise when our fever in our heart is healed we can live in the newly changed world. Our souls can participate in a real freedom. We only then have a real satisfaction in our life. If a Christian is living with grimace of pain it is nonsense. Of cause there are hard times and irritating moment in our life but if we live by truly depending on Jesus, receiving the power to overcome this world through his hand, then we can see the bright world. The salvation we are preaching is to participate in such world. We can preach it only after knowing it. All the people are living as fever is granted but we know the real joy through Jesus. It is really God’s grace.
There is the last point we have to concern on the story of Peter’s mother-in-law. The end of verse 31 says what Peter’s mother-in-law had done after healing. “The fever left her and she began to wait on them.” This verse seems not much important compare to the entire healing story but it never like that. Losing this fact means we lose a half of this story. It is no exaggeration to say that the serving of Peter’s mother-in-law after freed from fever was the essentiality of church. Attendance and service is the exact proof of receiving Jesus’ power. This is the proof of healing from fever. The proof of healing of Indian church is to serve this world, not to be proud of its power. We were the people living with fever. Jesus healed us and now it is very clear for us what we have to do. Let’s serve each other and furthermore serve our society and country.
JESUS’ HEALING AUTHORITY
Mark 1:29-39
The gospels mainly concern on Jesus’ salvation event and so hardly mentioned about the family and human relationship. Though there were a few stories about Jesus’ family it was the outskirts of theme and didn’t give any particular meaning in the family relationship. Even the story of Jesus’ family was regarded as outskirt, and so no need to mention about the disciple’s family. In my knowledge there are two family stories of the disciples in the Bible. One was request of mother of James and John to put her sons on high position in the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:35-45) The other is Peter’s mother-in-law’s story we read today.
Today’s story belongs to very early part of Jesus’ public ministry. He called only four disciples and didn’t have any restriction to enter a synagogue. Jesus’ early ministry began from Capernaum, a vicinity of Galilee Lake. Jesus was slowly extending his ministry to other area. Before today’s story Jesus entered into the synagogue in Capernaum and preached the word of God and drove out evil spirit. Coming out from the synagogue Jesus entered into Simon’s house with four disciples, Simon, Andrew, James and John. He was tired due to his hard working in the synagogue and might be wanted to take rest. Then there was Simon’s mother-in-law, having illness. As the people told her status Jesus raised her up by holding her hand. Surprisingly Simon’s mother-in-law was healed immediately and began to wait on Jesus.
Verses 32-34 are dealing with the story of healing many sick people as he had done at the synagogue. The common point of three stories in verses 21-28, 29-31 and 32-34 is testifying one fact that Jesus was with messianic authority. In those days people regarded possessing by evil spirits and sickness as the same. Mark testified any diseases or evil spirits should be surrendered before Jesus’ authority. Interesting point here was that he introduced Simon’s mother-in-law while he was reporting a theological confession, Jesus’ authority. Mark, originally a disciple of Simon Peter was connecting the vivid story heard from Peter with driving out evil spirit.
The situation of today’s story is that Peter’s mother-in-law suffered from fever. We don’t know why Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in her in-law’s house. She might not have any family except her son-in-law. Or came to Capernaum hearing Jesus’ news to heal her disease? Or came here to try to persuade her son-in-law not to leave his family? She might be greatly perplexed hearing Peter’s decision to leave his family in order to be a disciple of Jesus. It could be a cause of her fever.
However, we don’t have much information about Peter’s mother-in-law and so it is almost impossible to guess about her situation any more. The clear point was that she was suffering from serious fever. The text simply says it as fever and doesn’t give many details. There are three styles of fever in Palestine. First is undulant fever which is taken ill when the people get weak or poverty of blood. It repeats several months and if it goes serious way and the patient die. Second is intermittent fever which is similar to typhoid fever. Third is Malaria, causes by a malaria mosquito which brought up in the forest surrounding Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. This disease is accompanying with jaundice and shivering fit and the patient suffers a lot. According to Barclay the British Bible scholar, Peter’s mother-in-law was suffering from Malaria.
The fever of Peter’s wife’s mother was very serious which can be confirmed by the Greek Mark used for ‘in bed’. Mark used ‘Katevkeito’ which signified very dangerous status. Her body was shivering with high fever and sweating a lot and sometimes slipped into a comatose state.
We have to look back our life whether we are living with fever like Peter’s wife’s mother. The terror that occurs off and on signifies the fever of Indian society. The incidents happened by blue bus in metropolitan city, dowry death in rural area, murdering innocent aged people and all the madness occurred by politicians bring us fever. Children’s education, hunting a proper job also is a sort of fever. A shepherd suffered a lot for his son’s admission. Nowadays a shepherdess is suffering from fever every night because of stagnation of her guesthouse business. Another shepherdess is suffering from toothache due to her wisdom teeth. Some brothers are suffering from the shortage of their tuition fee. How can we free from such fever?
People told to Jesus about Peter’s mother-in-law. Jesus went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her. She might not notice Jesus’ touching as she was suffering from a serious fever. She might dimly feel someone reach out his hand. She held the hand unconsciously. The very moment healing power transferred to her and she could get up. A strange thing happened to Peter’s mother-in-law.
This incident is very simple compare to other healing incidents of Jesus. Jesus sometimes prayed or pasted mixing mud with saliva on the eyes of blind or commanded a paralyzed “Get up, take your mat and go.” Or he used a herd of pig to heal a demon possessed man. Minimizing it, at least he said, “Your faith healed you.” However, this time he neither prays nor asking faith but simply hold her hand and helped her up. In Jesus’ times also there were the groups of people who healed the diseases. They did it with sounded magic action. They recited mantras or used a strange picture. Even today some Christian fellowship heals others with such over action. Jesus removed all such superfluity and saved human from their disease with his power. This signifies rightly Jesus’ messianic authority.
Christians believe Jesus has authority to heal high fever even today. However, once it become the matter of our personal or facing real world our faith on Jesus disappears. The fevers in my life, my family, my society and my country seem never goes away. What Christianity had done after entering into India from the beginning? What Jesus have done whom I trusted on from my childhood for my family and my life? Moreover, what Jesus’ authority can do my present problems like pending tuition fee, financial bankrupt in my family and my future? We feel we are suffering alone and Jesus is just like an onlooker. However, a true Christian keeps his faith, trusting Jesus’ authority that works according to his own way. Though I cannot conceive it properly Jesus’ healing touch will come to me and will hold my hand.
.
What was Simon’s mother-in-law’s feeling after healing? Her joy was incomparable with any other things in this world. You also might have such experience that you’ve freed from high fever and headache. Simon’s mother-in-law felt like flying. She might feel love everyone. She might understand everyone as they were without judging them with power or money. This is salvation. It is an entry to new world of joy. Likewise when our fever in our heart is healed we can live in the newly changed world. Our souls can participate in a real freedom. We only then have a real satisfaction in our life. If a Christian is living with grimace of pain it is nonsense. Of cause there are hard times and irritating moment in our life but if we live by truly depending on Jesus, receiving the power to overcome this world through his hand, then we can see the bright world. The salvation we are preaching is to participate in such world. We can preach it only after knowing it. All the people are living as fever is granted but we know the real joy through Jesus. It is really God’s grace.
There is the last point we have to concern on the story of Peter’s mother-in-law. The end of verse 31 says what Peter’s mother-in-law had done after healing. “The fever left her and she began to wait on them.” This verse seems not much important compare to the entire healing story but it never like that. Losing this fact means we lose a half of this story. It is no exaggeration to say that the serving of Peter’s mother-in-law after freed from fever was the essentiality of church. Attendance and service is the exact proof of receiving Jesus’ power. This is the proof of healing from fever. The proof of healing of Indian church is to serve this world, not to be proud of its power. We were the people living with fever. Jesus healed us and now it is very clear for us what we have to do. Let’s serve each other and furthermore serve our society and country.
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