When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. (Matthew 8:14-15)
Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples. Day after day, he was by Jesus’ side watching as He healed the sick, delivered people from demons, and taught God’s ways of living. Peter was there taking it all in. He had a very intense personality. Peter put all of himself into whatever he was doing.
This particular day Jesus was going to Peter’s house for dinner. Probably exhausted from a long day, they were eager to get home, eat and relax. Little did they know what was happening at his house.
When they arrived, at Peter’s house, his wife was frantic. She explained to everyone her mother was very sick with a high fever. She was scared because her mother was so sick she took to her bed.
She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t leave the family and go find them. She didn’t know where to look for them. She was faced with this illness that could take her mother’s life.
Peter, frightened and anxious, asked Jesus to go and pray for her. He had seen Jesus heal the sick for many days. Now his family needed a miracle from Jesus.
Jesus lovingly entered the sick woman’s room. He took her hand, rebuked the fever and healed her. She went from being seriously ill to tears of gratefulness. The Master healed her. How could she ever repay Him? With one touch and a few words He healed her. He took away her suffering and pain. He cleared away her confusing thoughts that came with the high fever. He healed her.
Her immediate response was to get up and do something for Him. She needed to show Him how much she loved Him. She prepared the meal so these famished men could eat.
That day Jesus taught Peter if he put Him first, He would provide Peter’s needs and take care of his family. Jesus showed Peter His love in a very personal way.
Peter saw Jesus in a new and different way that day. He knew Jesus spared his wife grief and loss by healing her mother. He saw Jesus’ love, compassion, kindness given to someone he loved and cared about. Before it had been strangers, acquaintances, but now Jesus touched Peter’s family.
This miracle affected the whole family. Peter’s wife had her mother healed. The children saw their grandmother healed and restored to health. Peter’s love and respect for Jesus deepened on that day at his home.
The sick mother fell completely in love with Jesus. She could hardly wait to repay Him for His love, kindness to her and the compassion He showed her.
Jesus affected this whole family. It all started because one man said, “Yes, Jesus, I will follow you.” Peter laid his whole life down for Jesus and Jesus took care of Peter and his family.
So what can we learn from this Scripture? Jesus is always there and ready to help each one of us. He can take an impossible situation and work for everyone’s good. Sometimes that happens in ways we don’t understand, but Jesus understands. He works for our good always.
ROMANS 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
This family got a miracle healing. Each responded differently. Some families don’t get the physical healing they pray for, but God is there regardless. He knows what He is doing. He is still compassionate. He still loves us. He is there helping in every situation. I’ve learned through many different circumstances that God does what He does because He knows best. He sees everything. He understands more than I ever will. The difficult part for us is trusting Him. It is putting our lives and our family into His hands and trusting Him.
Can He help us? Absolutely.
Does He answer prayer? Yes.
But He answers according to His wisdom knowing everything and seeing everything including the future. He knew the response of Peter’s mother-in-law. He knew what He had to do for Peter and his wife. HE KNOWS!
That is the most difficult thing for us to accept. Jesus knows. There are circumstances and situations we must walk through blindly trusting Jesus. Some things we will never understand. Not until Heaven when we will understand all things. But for now we have Jesus. That has to be enough.
To Read More About Jesus, and how He feels about you, read, "Finding Significance"
