Life’s tough…and then Jesus died.
- Order of Service: Word and Sacrament, CW p26
- Lessons: Job 7:1-7, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39
- Hymns: 353, 371:1-4, 93, 363
In the name of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.
After capping off a Sabbath’s day teaching by casting out a demon, Jesus heads over to Peter’s house for the Sabbath supper. The end of a long day. Now some rest.
But just the beginning. When they arrive at Peter’s house – Jesus, Peter, Andrew, James, and John – they discover Peter’s mother bedridden with fever. This puts Jesus back on the clock. They talk to Him about her, asking Him to help. “What can you do for her, Lord?” Well, we know what Jesus can do. He took her by the hand. He treated that fever like the demon He cast out, rebuking it. And she was well again. So well, in fact, that she ran right into the kitchen and began preparing the evening meal. Now, finally, some rest.
Except, the Sabbath’s finally over, which means people can walk somewhere other than to the synagogue. And they walk to Peter’s house. The whole town. That could mean hundreds of people. Peter’s front porch becomes an emergency room. Litters, stretchers, and crutches battle for space. The demon possessed howl. The sick moan. The crippled groan. Some vomit. Some cough. Some gasp. Some bleed. Some cry. Peter peeks out the peephole. For a moment, perhaps, he considers pretending they’re not there. But he can’t. Jesus washes off His hands and gets back to work. Mark says He healed many. Luke says He laid hands on each one. Marvelous, considering that the almighty God could have stepped outside the door, spoken one word – “Healed!” – and then gone back in for dessert.
But instead He knelt by the paralytic’s stretcher and made his legs work again. He touched the blind man’s eyes and restored sight. He cast out demon after demon and shut them up just as He’d done earlier so that they couldn’t poison the well with their testimony about Him. He rebuked each fever. He made well every deaf ear. For the whole city. No doubt each miracle took a couple of minutes. Time to talk to the person or group before the healing. Time for the healing. Some post-healing thanks and praise.
All who came left well. Now, finally some rest: Read More…










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