Mark 1:29-30, And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her.
In a world where almost no doctor makes house calls anymore, God does! A child once shared with me that God lived in the baptistry. They said, “the changing rooms are secret passages that lead to where He lives.” Many people have extreme views of God as either an old and irrelevant man, or some codger who is just waiting for others to fail. While God doesn’t, live in the baptistry or wait passively or destructively on us, He does live in the hearts of His people. He lives in the souls of those whom He calls His own. God is intimately and lovingly involved in our lives.
Some people will live their whole life and never make the decision to commit their life to His service. Does Jesus live in your home? His presence is many times revealed in the crisis of life. I have watched many people grow older in this world. Those who are faithful have not come to their faith accidentally. (Luke 11:9) Faith is not the natural result of the course of human life. It has to be deliberately sought after. Those who find a great relationship with God have journeyed to get there. There have usually been some obstacles and other difficulties along the way. This is not anything more than life happening.
When Jesus went to help Peter’s mother-in-law, scripture tells us He raised her up. (v. 31) He had to be very close to do so. He could have commanded it, but instead He used His own hands. Jesus was concerned about this woman and her family. As was usually the case, many came for help from the Messiah. (v. 32-34) You might think that this would be normal situation for man. Man needs healing and so to Jesus He goes. Today many need healing, only to fall for con men and charlatans. Some people simply exalt themselves. Others are ambivalent, even about their own spiritual eternities.
Jesus is always concerned about the sick, the hurting, and the grieving. “Well, why doesn’t he just fix everything?” The answer is simple – many people don’t believe in Him now, who would be left if life had no travails. This is NOT to say that Jesus, in any way, causes the problems we face, but His goal is who we are in the long-term.
This scenario with Jesus and Peter’s mother-in-law is one that simply demonstrates how intimately He deals with us all. Jesus could have healed her from a distance but instead He is “hands on.” He could have stated that His mission was greater than one sick woman, and been truly accurate in so doing. The point is that He always deals “one-on-one” with those He helps. More than anything else in this world, we need Jesus to work with us personally. We need Him in our homes, our work places, our social gatherings, and most importantly in our lives.
Just so you know, the day will come when Jesus will “fix” everything that is broken – a day of no more tears, no more sorrow, and no more loss. (Revelation 21:4) Godspeed as you seek The Savior in your life.