Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-Law: Healing and Sacrifice
In the Book of Luke, there’s a short story of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law. You can watch this story come to life in The Chosen Season 1.
And although it’s only four verses long, there is so much to learn from Jesus healing Peter's mother-in-law.
Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-law
The story of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law can be found in the fourth chapter of Luke.
38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her.
39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.
40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.
41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.
(Luke 4: 38-41 as found in the NIV)
Although it may seem like these four short verses don’t contain more than a simple miracle, there’s a lot to unpack.
Here are just a few of the lessons from Luke’s story.
Jesus Prepares People to Follow Him and Do His Will
Peter’s mother-in-law did not live in a time of modern medicine and ibuprofen.
In fact, a strong fever like hers could easily mean she was close to death.
For people living in the time of Jesus, healing a woman of a strong fever was no small miracle.
And we immediately see that recognition in Peter’s mother-in-law by how she quickly starts to serve Jesus and others around her. After being healed, her first reaction was not to celebrate but to pay it forward by doing good things for others as Jesus did for her.
Jesus Helps Those in Need
Peter is probably the most recognizable apostle of the Twelve.
He is known as the rock on which Jesus built his Church and was charged with leading the followers of Jesus after His death.
But, many don’t realize that Peter wasn’t yet called to be an apostle when Jesus healed his mother-in-law.
We don’t see that happen until the fifth chapter of Luke.
1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.
2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.
3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”
9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,
10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”
11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
(Luke 5: 1-11 as found in the NIV)
Even though Peter saw the healing of his mother-in-law in person, he didn’t feel like he needed to fall at the feet of Jesus. It wasn’t until this second miracle where Peter was truly astonished by the power of Jesus.
And it wasn’t until this second miracle where Peter was prepared enough to be called to the apostleship by Jesus himself.
Jesus Does Not Allow Evil Spirits to Testify of Him
In the final paragraph of Luke Chapter 4, Jesus continues to heal other sick people and cast out demons.
The demons testify that Jesus is the Christ as they’re being cast out, but Jesus forbids them from doing so. If you read the book of Luke, you’ll see many men and women testify of Jesus as the Son of God and Jesus does not forbid them.
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