Today's passage includes is a true story that took place in the home of Simon Peter and Andrew. In the early afternoon, the two brothers invited the Lord Jesus and James and John home with them, only to find Peter's mother-in-law sick with a fever. This was not the first time the Lord Jesus had performed a miracle. According to Luke 4, He had done many miracles in Capernaum already. The people there knew the power of the Lord Jesus, and, this is why they sought Him out as they did.
In v.29-31 of today's passage we read, "29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them."
The Lord Jesus took Peter's mother-in-law by the hand and helped her off of the bed and the fever was gone. The healing of Peter's mother-in-law illustrates, yet again, the Lord Jesus has total sovereign control over the spiritual and physical worlds. The Lord Jesus rebuked the fever, and, there was no recovery time needed. He not only healed her from the fever, but also healed her of the weakness that accompanies fevers. The Lord Jesus made the command and the sickness immediately was gone. After the fever left Peter's mother-in-law, she went to serving others.
This is the way ministry works. We are enabled to work with and help people in accordance with how the Lord has worked with us and helped us. If we have no story with Him, then we will not be used of Him in the lives of others. We will not have a story with Him that we can tell others. Therefore, we must embrace His heart as we go through the things of life, be they good or bad. It is not the experiences of life that enable us to serve others, it is through our increasing interactions and dependency and experiences with Him that we are equipped to do His work in this world.
In context, Mark records this story for us, so that we would see the compassion and power of the Lord Jesus who ministered to all according to His will. As is clear, His compassion and power was not reserved for only the big cases that day, His compassion and power was for all who were willing enough to avail themselves to Him. This is the key to it all, our willingness of heart for His will to be done in our lives. And this is what enables us to endure hardship, because we know that even the hardships have purpose.
After healing Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, the whole city came in search of the Lord Jesus. This was the secondary purpose of this healing, so that people would seek the Lord Jesus. This is the ultimate purpose of our lives, to point others to Him. This begins by being convinced that He is the answer, and then, we must be willing to let Him have His way in our lives.
In v. 32 of today's passage we read, "That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed."
After the Sabbath and after the sun set on that Saturday, the Lord Jesus ministered to the various needs of the people. Mark tells us in v.33 that the whole city gathered at their door bringing with them all who were sick and demon-possessed. During the Sabbath, the people were not allowed to travel, at least those who lived a considerable distance away, and wanted to get help from the Lord Jesus for their ailments. Once the sun set and the Sabbath was over, the next day had begun, and, the people were free to travel to the Lord Jesus.
After the Sabbath and after the sun set on that Saturday, the Lord Jesus ministered to the various needs of the people. Mark tells us in v.33 that the whole city gathered at their door bringing with them all who were sick and demon-possessed. During the Sabbath, the people were not allowed to travel, at least those who lived a considerable distance away, and wanted to get help from the Lord Jesus for their ailments. Once the sun set and the Sabbath was over, the next day had begun, and, the people were free to travel to the Lord Jesus.
You see, they could not travel on a Sabbath day according to their interpretation of the law. The rabbis had concluded no one could travel two thousand cubits. And, since a cubit was eighteen inches, they could only travel about a thousand yards. A heart that has along the way disengaged from the Lord will always default to religion. Even though the rabbis were suppose to represent the heart of God, they had long moved away from the position to access His heart, therefore they were harsh and their interpretation of the law was impossible.
I have discovered that my desire for comfort is the greatest danger to my heart being broken enough for God's heart to be expressed through mine. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:7, "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”
In v.34 of today's passage we read, "and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was."
The power the Lord Jesus demonstrated over demons and disease underscored His authenticity, and, it buoyed His message of salvation through faith by grace. In Matthew's account of this healing we read, "This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet." And, spoken through Isaiah the prophet were the words found in Isaiah 53:4 which reads, "He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases."
The next to the last phrase in v.34 of today's passage reads, "... he would not let the demons speak..."
At this point in the ministry of the Lord Jesus, all the demons were silenced from speaking. The most dangerous form of religion is the religion that affirms Christ and teaches lies. These cast out demons are evidence of the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. But, His power is only given to those who follow and obey His commands.
As we learn this and bend our wills to His, we are given the ability to live in accordance with His will for our lives on a given day. This is why the Lord Jesus, as we will see in tomorrow's passage, went up into the mountains to pray. He did this so that He would have such intimacy with His Father, that there would be no hindrance to the influence of the Spirit of God through Him as He went about doing the Fathers' business.
