The cure of Simon's mother-in-law

This Sunday Gospel gives us the story of how our Lord Jesus Christ cured Simon’s mother-in-law. I’m sure you’ve heard enough jokes about mother-in-laws, but there’s a message we have to get from this story which you can read in Mark 1:29-39.

“29 On leaving the synagogue [Jesus] entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. 31 He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

32 When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. 33 The whole town was gathered at the door. 34 He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

35 Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and those who were with him pursued him 37 and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” 39 So he went into the synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

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This story begins at the start of the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ in the region of Galilee. Today’s passage starts when they left the synagogue where, after our Lord Jesus Christ preached there, He went straight to the house of Simon where he was told that Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with high fever. All that the Lord did was grasp her hand, pull her out of bed and the fever immediately left her and she waited on them.

Last Sunday’s gospel story was about how Jesus cured the man possessed with a demon. This Sunday, our Lord Jesus is depicted as a healer. Apparently when our Lord Jesus Christ heals a person that ailment instantly disappears and the person is cured as if he was never sick in the first place. I read a bumper sticker common on cars in the United States that declares “Jesus Heals” and that’s exactly what this gospel teaches us today.

By nightfall, the whole town was gathered at the door of Simon’s house and our Lord Jesus Christ cured many who were sick with various ailments and diseases and drove out those who were possessed with demons. Can you imagine this scenario: The whole town of Capernaum was lining up the door of Simon’s house? Obviously these people heard that Jesus cured Simon’s mother-in-law and they too brought along their sick to ask the Lord to cure them. Our Lord obliged and cured many of them.

While exorcising the demons, whom we learned from last Sunday’s gospel that our Lord had authority over them, this time Jesus did not permit the demons to speak unlike last week’s gospel when the demon asked: “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” No doubt that the demons knew who our Lord Jesus was, but he had authority over them and ordered the unclean spirit to be quiet and get out of the person that it had possessed. But for today’s gospel story, the demons were exorcised and couldn’t say anything. Indeed, the Son of Man had authority over those demons.

After Jesus cured many people in Capernaum, they rested in Simon’s house and He woke up early in dawn to go to a deserted place. When our Lord does this, He was praying to His Father, praising and glorifying Him for giving Him the power to heal the sick and cast out demons. Perhaps you may want to know, why does our Lord pray in a deserted place? All I can think of is that when you are alone in a deserted place away from people bothering you, you have solitude and you can think straight or at least concentrate on your prayer.

But the Lord knew that the people would be looking for Him even in his solitude. Just think: 2,000 years ago, there were no boticas or clinics or hospitals where every one goes if he or she gets sick. So at that time, when someone comes to a village and heard that He cured the sick and cast out demons from the possessed, certainly the whole town will try to meet that person, no matter how busy he is.

So when His disciples sought Him in the deserted place and found Him, they told Him that everyone is looking for Him. By this they meant that the people whom He healed the pervious night most probably told their friends about this healer from Nazareth. Without hesitation, our Lord told His disciples, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose I have come.”While the Lord cured many sick persons, He also exorcised demons and soon, His popularity soared and more people wanted Him to do more. The Lord began His ministry to help the poor people of Israel.

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