After he left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. 39 He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them. 40 At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them. 41 And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.” But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Messiah. 42 At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. 43 But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
After Jesus left the synagogue where he expelled a demon from a man (Lk. 4:31-37), he went to Simon Peter’s home. Peter’s mother-in-law had a severe fever, a serious and potentially life-threatening illness in first-century Palestine. The members of the household, most likely family and close associates, expressed their faith in Jesus' ability to heal by making a respectful, faith-filled request for him to heal her, reflecting both their trust in his authority and the communal nature of their intercession, a common practice in Jewish culture. Jesus cured Peter’s mother-in-law instantaneously by his word alone. He ‘rebuked the fever,’ casting it out in the same way he cast the demon out of the man in the Synagogue (Lk. 4:35). This suggests that illnesses, like demonic possessions, are under Jesus' command. Peter’s mother-in-law immediately got up and began serving Jesus, symbolizing the restorative and transformative power of Jesus' ministry. The healing could have contributed to Peter’s eagerness to follow Jesus. Her service foreshadows the service expected of all who are healed and saved by Christ (Jn. 13:12-15).
At sundown, the Sabbath had ended and people were now allowed to carry out activities forbidden during the Sabbath. Hearing about Jesus’ healing powers, the community brought the sick to him and he laid hands on each person, emphasizing the personal nature of his ministry. Jesus also cast out demons, reinforcing his authority over both the spiritual and physical realms. The demons recognized Jesus' divine authority and publicly acknowledged him as the "Son of God," but he forbade them to speak because it was not yet the time for his messianic identity to be revealed. There is a recurring theme in the Gospels, particularly in the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus often instructs his disciples (Mk. 8:30), those he heals (Mk. 1:44), and even demons (Mk. 3:11) to keep his identity as the Messiah hidden – the Messianic Secret.
Jesus often withdrew to a “deserted place” for solitude, prayer, and communion with the Father (Lk. 5:16) and did so at daybreak. The people found him and tried to keep him from leaving them. Jesus told them he was divinely sent (reminiscent of the prophets) to proclaim “the good news of the kingdom of God” to other towns. Jesus understood his identity and purpose and continued his itinerant preaching in synagogues throughout Judea.
Heavenly Father, grant us the faith to seek Your healing touch and the grace to serve others in gratitude for Your love and compassion. May we proclaim Your Kingdom through our lives, as we follow the example of Your obedient Son. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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