Jesus Heals Many
Mark 1:31 “And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.”
Peter’s mother-in-law probably fixed a meal. Peter’s family is quickly and dramatically affected by his decision to follow Jesus. This whole incident reflects Peter’s point of view.
Here we see that just one touch from Jesus’ hand, and Peter’s mother-in-law was made whole. This was not a partial healing, but a total recovery. In fact, she was so much better instantly that she forgot her illness and began to minister to them.
This is very similar to the woman who just touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed. Just one touch of His hand can do mighty miracles. This type of healing instantly would be so dramatic that no one could deny it. The word would spread fast.
We are just emerging from that early period when belief in His power to heal might still be united with some doubt whether free application might be made to Him. His disciples might still be as unwise as those modern theologians who are so busy studying the miracles as a sign that they forget to think of them as works of love. Any such hesitation was now to be dispelled forever.
It is possible that such is the meaning of the expression, and if so, it has a useful lesson. Sometimes there are temporal gifts which we scarce know whether we should pray for, so complex are our feelings, so entangled our interests with those of others, so obscure and dubious the springs which move our desire. Is it presumptuous to ask? Yet can it be right to keep anything back, in our communion with our Father?
Again, now there is a curious similarity between the expression they tell Jesus of her and that phrase which is only applied to prayer when St. Paul bids us pray for all that is in our hearts. In nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. So shall the great benediction be fulfilled: The peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts (Phlp. 4:6-7). All that is unholy shall be purified, all that is unwise subdued, all that is expedient granted.
If this be indeed the force of St. Mark’s phrase, Jesus felt their modest reticence to be a strong appeal, for St. Luke says they besought Him, while St. Matthew merely writes that He saw her lying. The Interpreter of St. Peter is most likely to have caught the exact shade of anxiety and appeal by which her friends drew His attention, and which was indeed a prayer.
The gentle courtesy of our Lord’s healings cannot be too much studied by those who would know His mind and love Him. Never does He fling a careless blessing as coarse benefactors fling their alms; we shall hereafter see how far He was from leaving fallen bread to be snatched as by a dog, even by one who would have welcomed a boon thus contemptuously given to her; and in the hour of His arrest, when He would heal the ear of a persecutor, His courtesy appeals to those who had laid hold on Him, Suffer ye thus far. Thus He went to this woman and took her by the hand and raised her up, laying a cool touch upon her fevered palm, bestowing His strength upon her weakness, healing her as He would fain heal humanity. For at His touch the disease was banished; with His impulse her strength returned.
We do not read that she felt bound thereupon to become an obtrusive public witness to His powers: that was not her function; but in her quiet home she failed not to minister unto Him who had restored her powers.
In compassionate response Jesus stood beside her and without a word simply grasped her hand and raised her up. The fever left completely, and without weakness she began to serve diēkonei, imperf. her guests.
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