Again, immediately we are thrown into another scene. Jesus left the synagogue and went to the house of Simon and Andrew but Simon’s mother-in-law was ill. She was lying in bed with a fever. Having seen Jesus cast out the demon just earlier in the day, they may have thought that since Jesus could do that, perhaps he could heal the woman. So, immediately they told him. Jesus simply approaches the woman, helps her up, and she is healed. To prove that it was full healing and not just partial, Mark records that she was able to serve the disciples and Jesus.

There are no words recorded, no ritual that had to be done, no real process, just the authority of Jesus at work. We’ve seen that he has authority to teach, to cast out demons, and now the authority to heal sickness. In the following verses we see this even more.

Word must have gotten out about Jesus and who he is because after dark, the citizens of Capernaum come out in numbers. Mark tells us that they bring all the sick and demon-possessed and that the whole town was gathered at the door of this house! Can you imagine just how many people were there? Now, Mark is probably exaggerating here in order to let us know that there were a lot of people who Jesus healed and he does this so that we can have no doubt that Jesus’ authority was absolute. It wasn’t like Jesus had a small amount of ‘power’ that he could only dish out here and there, no. Jesus has complete and ultimate authority over sickness and demons. He has compassion on and healed many people with various diseases. Jesus is the great physician who has the will and the ability to heal the sick and drive out all that is evil. And again, we are given a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God is like - where there will be no evil, no pain, no suffering, but worshipping Jesus the King. MC

Questions

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending us Jesus. Please help us not to reject your authority but to welcome it, knowing that you are loving, compassionate, and are lord of all. Amen.