As I sit here and write there are many I know that are in the hospital. Some with curable illnesses and others with incurable. Doctors do all they know to do, but sometimes it’s just not enough. They are not the Great Physician. In the time Jesus walked the earth, as God in the flesh, there were many diseases that were fatal simply for lack of knowledge. Our lesson for today is actually told by the physician, Luke.
Colossians 4:14 “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. “
It was the Sabbath, as the service was ending, and people were departing to go to their own homes, Simon, later known as Peter, brought Jesus to his home. It was customary to invite others to your home to break bread with you on the Sabbath, but Simon Peter had a far more important reason. Simon Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a great fever. Luke tells us at the end of verse 38 they brought Jesus home with them because of her.
Luke 4:38 “And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever, and they besought him for her.”
This came as no surprise to Jesus, nothing ever surprises him. He goes to the bed of the sick woman and as he bent over her, he rebuked the fever and the fever left. Mark tells us he “took her hand,” Matthew says “when he touched her hand,” and Luke says he “stood over her.” Mark shows us the servant Jesus helping her up. However, Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience and if a Jew touched a sick person it would make them unclean. Jesus could touch anyone, even the leper, and not become unclean. Luke, as a physician, shows his bedside manner and stands or bends over her. All three of these took place and they do not conflict with each other. He bent over her, touched her, spoke, and helped her up.
Luke 4:39 “And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever, and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.”
When Jesus healed her, she didn’t need a day or two to regain her strength. She immediately got up and began serving. She didn’t spend her time as the center of attention, enjoying the fame of what had happened to her. She didn’t wait for others to come and serve her so she could rest. She got up and served! She served the one, plus others, who had healed her. We can learn a lot from this lady. We need to forget about ourselves, don’t seek attention just because we can, and make sure we show gratitude by serving.
The fame of Jesus was so great that as the sun was setting, all that knew he was in the area brought their sick friends and relatives to Jesus. Jesus responded, as He always does, He turned no one away. Today He continues to seek all to turn to Him. We are to turn to Him for salvation. We are to turn to Him for comfort, and yes, even today, we are to turn to Him for healing. He should always be our first resort, not our last.
II Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
James 5:14-16 “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
Luke 4:40 “Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.”
Now, as the great Paul Harvey would say, here is “the rest of the story.” After He had served the people He got away by himself, and Mark tells us it was to pray. He sought to spend time with God, and He sought him alone. They begged Him to stay, but He let them know He had work to do in other cities.
Luke 4:42-43 “And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.”
The Great Physician healed the sick and He is still healing today. However, the most important healing that we can experience is the healing of the soul. Talk about a miracle, changing a man’s destination from Hell to Heaven simply by asking forgiveness, and surrendering our life to Christ, is beyond amazing. I’m so thankful the Great Healer has healed me.
