Jesus then got up and leaving the synagogue He, along with James and John went
to the home of Simon Peter and Andrew. Now, Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in
bed, suffering with a high fever. They told Jesus about her asked Him to look at
her. So He went to see her, and standing over her He took her hand and ordered
the fever to leave; then He took her by the hand and helped her up. Immediately
the fever left her, so she was able to get up right away and began to wait on
them.
When evening came and the sun had set, those who had sick and diseased loved
ones began bringing them to Jesus, along with many who were demon-possessed.
Jesus laid His hands on each of them and healed them, and cast out the spirits
with a word; so that there might be fulfilled what was spoke through the
prophet, Isaiah, who said, “He took upon Himself our infirmities, and removed
our diseases.” Soon the entire city gathered at the door. Demons, coming out
from many cried out and said, “You are the Messiah, the Child of God!” But he
ordered them not to speak, because they knew He was the Messiah.
Next morning He arose very early and went out at dawn to a secluded place to
pray. Simon and the others went looking for Him, and when they found Him they
told Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” But He said to them, “Let’s go on to
the other towns in the area, that I may preach there also. This is the reason
that I came out.”
The crowds who were looking for Him found Him and attempted to keep Him from
leaving. But He said to them, “I’ve got to preach the Good News of the realm of
God to other cities also; it is for this reason that I was sent.”
And Jesus went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and
preaching the Good News of Heaven, healing every sickness and infirmity, as well
as casting out demons from among the people.
(Matt. 8:14-17, 4:23; Mk. 1:29-39; Lk. 4:38-44)
The details in this story give all the appearances of being an eyewitness account, so we must assume the story came directly from either Peter or Andrew. According to John (1:44), Peter and Andrew had grown up in Bethsaida, but perhaps when Peter married, or when they became disciples of Jesus, they decided to move to Capernaum.
This little vignette perhaps gives us a portrait of the disciples different from what we’re used to. Contrary to popular belief, the disciples didn’t just live and travel everywhere together. Peter, at least, apparently lived at home with his wife, brother and mother-in-law. Since Jesus did not have a home (Matt. 8:20; Lk. 9:58), it may be that Jesus lived with them also, at least some of the time. We can imagine them, after spending the day traveling about with Jesus, going home to the family. This particular day, after worship services Jesus, James and John accompanied Peter and Andrew to Peter’s home, most likely to share a meal. It could also have been that the siblings knew of the woman’s illness, and they wanted Jesus to come and take a look at her. So they told Jesus about her, and He went in to see her.
Given today’s medications we might not be too concerned to hear that one has a fever, but it could have been a very serious illness in the first century, especially if it was malaria, which was quite common around the prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes, the marshy areas of Palestine, such as would have been found in the Galilee. According to Luke, the physician wrote that she was in the grip of a major fever.
Now, Jesus already had had quite a morning! He and the disciples had gone to the synagogue where He had been expounding on the scripture. His message suddenly was interrupted by someone who was demon-possessed. He went over and demanded that the spirits leave. They did, but only after they had caused quite a commotion. The gospels don’t give us the details, but we can imagine that Jesus would have had to have spent some time then ministering to the poor soul, calming him down and making him feel better, before getting up and going back to finish His message.
Too, there was a whole congregation full of stunned eye-witnesses to deal with. Imagine their shock at what they had just seen! They were certainly talking to one another about it. Immediately after the service was over some people left the synagogue to spread the word about what they had just seen to the surrounding community. But we can imagine that there still would have been others who would have wanted to stay just to talk with Jesus and to ask Him questions. Just as would have happened to a celebrity of today, Jesus might have had a hard time breaking away from the crowd, but He finally managed to do so, and was looking forward to sitting down, enjoying a quiet meal with His friends, and maybe to get a little rest.
It wasn’t to be. As soon as he arrived at the home, the people there came to Him with the news that Peter’s mother-in-law was very sick with a fever, and could He please come and try to help her. Of course, He could. He went in to where she was, looked down kindly at her, reached out and took her hand. Even though Judaism forbad touching persons with certain kinds of fevers, that didn’t stop Jesus. Jesus healed her with a touch and a word. D.A. Carson, in his commentary on Matthew in the Expositors Bible Commentary wrote: “The touch did not defile the healer, but healed the defiled.” It is interesting to note that just as Jesus earlier in the synagogue had ordered the demon to leave the man, according to Luke, Jesus now ordered the fever to leave the woman, as though it was a living entity.
Something needs to be said about the power in the laying on of hands. While some denominations continue to engage in this practice, many do not, and there are people who look askance at this behavior, as though they believe, it is tantamount to superstition. However, in recent years psychologists, psychiatrists, and even those who practice physical medicine, all have come to realize the benefits of human touch. Those who deal in the emotional as well as physical well-being of a person call it contact comfort, and today are extolling its benefits. It is a gift we all can give each other. It costs nothing, and it always benefits the giver as well as the recipient. It is impossible to touch someone without experiencing being touched in return.
We should also pay attention to the fact that even though at the earlier healing there was a crowd of witnesses, such was not the case now. Jesus healed before a crowd of one–Peter’s mother-in-law. No glitz. No glamour. No glory. Just one, very sick, mature woman. Jesus was just as caring and concerned for the one, as He was for the many, just as Jesus is always concerned for every ONE of us.
Lest we get the impression that Peter’s mother-in-law was forced to get out of her sick bed to tend to the men, the point the gospel writer makes in stating that she immediately got up and began to wait on them was that she was instantaneously and completely healed, and was able right away to get back to the business of living.
The Jewish Sabbath runs from sundown on one evening to sundown on the next. Word of Jesus’ healing of the demon-possessed man had by now traveled through the whole town, and even to the outlying areas, as far as the Sabbath law allowed. Since healing on the Sabbath was forbidden by Jewish law, the townspeople waited till after sundown, but soon thereafter arrived at Peter and Andrew’s door, sick and possessed relatives and friends in tow, looking for Jesus to heal them. Luke tells us that Jesus laid hands on them and healed them of their illnesses, while Matthew tells us that Jesus cast out the demons with a word.
Further, Matthew quotes a passage from Isaiah, 53:4, “He took upon Himself our infirmities, and removed our diseases,” to give evidence that Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s prophesies of the coming Messiah. An important point to make here is that it was common belief at that time that the cause of infirmities and diseases was sin. In quoting the Isaiah passage, not only was Matthew demonstrating that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophesy, it could very well be that Matthew was laying the groundwork for the revelation that Jesus takes away sin.
Just as it had happened in the synagogue that morning, as the demons were being forced out of their hosts they began crying out that Jesus was the Messiah, but He silenced them. He wasn’t yet ready to reveal He was the Messiah to the entire town. There was an important reason for this. The people had their own idea of Who Messiah would be and what He would do, which had nothing to do with Jesus’ real purpose in this earthly life. They expected a military conqueror. Jesus would be Isaiah’s Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12).
We can assume it must have been a late night for that household, as Jesus went from person to person bringing relief. There must have come a time when Peter or Andrew would have told the crowd, “It’s late. Come back tomorrow. Jesus needs His rest,” and closed the door.
Jesus got up early the next morning and went out in search of a quiet spot where He could pray. But it wasn’t quiet very long. Soon the disciples found Him and brought word that the townsfolk were already back and looking for Him. But the townspeople had followed the disciples and came up upon them talking with Jesus. They must have overheard Jesus making plans to go to other towns in the area because they tried to stop Him from leaving, but He turned to them and told them what His mission in life would be: God had sent Him to preach the Good News–the gospel–about the Realm of God, everywhere He could. The townspeople let Him go then, and he traveled throughout the area, repeating what He had done in Capernaum: preaching, teaching, healing and casting out demons.
This ends today’s study.
Points to Ponder