Devotional:

“29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.” — Mark 1:29-34

Simon, in this passage, is better known to us as Peter. He was called many names in the New Testament, which can be a little confusing. When Jesus called Simon to be a disciple, in John 1:42, He changed his name to “Cephas,” meaning “rock” in Aramaic or “Petros” in Greek, which is translated to Peter in English. So just to avoid confusion, I’m going to use the name Peter here because it is more familiar to us.

Jesus left the synagogue that day after healing the man with the unclean spirit and once again, the word spread throughout Galilee. He could have probably used some much-needed downtime after preaching and casting out demons all day. It says He went to Peter’s house where Peter’s mother-in-law was “ill with fever” (vs. 30). It is believed that this was also Jesus’s home in Capernaum during His ministry. This means this would have been where He was heading to go to bed. But instead, He came home to another sleepless night of miracles and healing.

We have to think of this fever differently than what we know about fevers. Today, Peter’s mother-in-law could have popped a few ibuprofens and been on her way as soon as the fever was gone. But back then, being ill with a fever, especially at her age, and without medication, like we have today, meant this was serious.

Jesus took her hand, stood her up and healed her. And what does she do immediately after that? She starts serving them by cooking dinner. I love that response from her. It doesn’t say she falls to Jesus’s feet thanking Him or follows Him around in utter amazement and shock the rest of the evening. She responds to Jesus by serving others.

But Jesus didn’t stop and go to bed after healing Peter’s mother-in-law. People came to the house and He healed many from the town of Capernaum that night. We know that more people were “oppressed by demons.” Verse 34 says that when Jesus cast out the evil spirits that evening, He did not permit them to speak because they knew Him. We can’t overlook this verse. In Luke’s account of this night, he says in chapter 4:41 “And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak because they knew he was the Christ.

First of all, we know that demons spoke out loud, whether through controlling the speech of those they possessed or in some other way. Regardless of how they did it, they could be heard by people. But Jesus had complete authority and control over the demons and commanded silence. These demons were not yelling out untruths. It says they were calling Him the Son of God, and they knew He was the Christ. But it was obvious that their intentions were not to aid in Jesus’s ministry but to disrupt it!

Jesus wasn’t about to let His enemies be the ones to reveal Him as the Son of God or mess with His plan! This could have put Him and the disciples in a dangerous spot with the authorities and religious leaders very early in their ministry. Jesus silenced them because He was in control of God’s plan and purpose.

Jesus, both God and human was at work that night in Peter’s house. He had complete authority over sickness and evil forces, and, at the same time, met people from all walks of life with compassion and love right where they were. I am sure as a human, He was exhausted, but He did not let that stop the movement of God that night.

Jesus’s miracles were not only for displaying God’s glory, but also because He was a caring and compassionate man who loved people. He was present that night as their Savior and their friend.

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

He is not only the great Healer and authority of the universe, but also our Comforter and friend. We see this throughout the Bible as Jesus endures many pains and sufferings with His disciples and loved ones. He was made human for a reason: to get face-to-face with His people and to show them that God was not the avenging, wrathful, angry God of the Old Testament. But He was and is also a compassionate, loving Father and friend who cares deeply for us. What a sweet thought as we go through this season of Lent. Our all-powerful Savior of the universe is our friend and He loves us. He is not a God that tries to keep us broken so that we will submit to Him. He is merciful. He showed this with a multitude of healings that night.

Jesus’s heart breaks for what breaks yours and mine, and He has complete authority over all things…every pain, addiction, relationship, conflict…He feels what we feel and walks with us through all of it. Praise God that we never have to walk through anything alone!

Peter’s mother-in-law was blessed by Jesus healing her. Did you notice how she responded? She got up and started serving Him. Let that sink in. What a selfless, humble response to such a powerful answer to prayer!

Take some time to think about how you respond to God’s miracles and blessings. Do you respond by serving others out of a humble and thankful heart because of what He has done for you?

Dear Jesus, I pray we do not skip over God’s blessings today and every day. Let the overflow of our hearts show compassion. Let us serve others in response to what You’ve done for us, in complete gratitude for a Savior Who loves us and gave it all for us on the cross. Amen