Mark 1:29-31 The Healing of Simon’s Mother-in-law
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: December 29, 2017 Mark 1:29-31
Note1: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Note2: You’ll notice a lot of quotations from commentaries in this day’s devotion. Usually, when that happens, it is because my mind was feeling pretty dull as I studied the Bible. I just couldn’t seem to see anything special in the text. When that happens, I start looking in commentaries. This will often jumpstart my thinking and open my mind to the messages in the passage.
After they left the synagogue, they went directly to the house of Simon and Andrew, along with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed, sick with a fever, so they promptly told Jesus about her. He went up to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began serving them.
(Understanding the Passage) Here, Mark tells of a miracle that Peter experienced directly and must have talked about to others. Maybe this is important because it is all about the first time that Jesus stayed in Peter’s own home. Matthew Card’s commentary on Mark says “Peter’s house is a short eighty-three-foot walk down a narrow alley from the synagogue” (Michael Card. Mark: The Gospel of Passion (Biblical Imagination) (Kindle Location 394). Kindle Edition), so the group would not have had far to walk from the synagogue where Jesus had cast out the demon to Peter’s house. Peter was bringing home Andrew-who lived with him, his business partners-James and John, and his master-Jesus. Thus, there were at least seven people in the house including the wife and mother-in-law.
It says that this was the house of Simon and Andrew, so the two men shared the house together. Was Andrew married? Maybe not, and that was why he was living with his brother. I never thought about it, but Andrew was probably Peter’s little brother. Maybe that was why Andrew was able to spend time with John the Baptist the day that he met Jesus. Maybe Andrew was a teenager. Maybe, he was John (the disciple)’ s age or even younger. That could explain why he was not included in the James, John, and Peter trio who Jesus specially trained and took with Him even when He did not take the other disciples. Andrew is mentioned with Phillip so maybe they were friends of a similar age. I always think of Jesus’ disciples as being in their late 20s or early 30s, but many of them would have probably been younger men, maybe teenagers or early 20s.
Peter’s mother-in-law lived with Peter and his wife in their home. In Matthew Card’s commentary on Mark, I read that it was not common for a widowed mother-in-law to live with a family, that she would have lived with her own sons unless she did not have any. “Ordinarily, upon the death of her husband, she would have lived with her own immediate family, probably one of her sons. Though we do not know why she is living with Peter and his wife, it hints at Peter’s generous character that she is there. Strictly speaking she is not his responsibility. Yet there she is being provided for” (Michael Card. Mark: The Gospel of Passion (Biblical Imagination) (Kindle Locations 395-397). Kindle Edition). Had Peter’s mother-in-law only bore daughters? Or had her sons died? Or was she living with Peter simply because he was better to her than her own sons? Maybe she was there to help her daughter out since Andrew was also living there and presumably there were children.
Did Peter’s wife encourage him to ask Jesus to heal her mother? Or was it simply the first thought in Peter’s head when he knew his mother-in-law was sick. We don’t know who “they” included, but it was more than one person, so maybe Peter and his wife told Jesus about the sick woman. She had a fever, so her illness may have been pretty serious. Jesus simply took her by the hand and helped her up. She had no fever and was well enough to get up and serve the guests.
At the end of John’s gospel, he says “Of course, Jesus also did many other things, and I suppose that if every one of them were written down the world couldn’t contain the books that would be written” (Joh 21:25). Maybe little miracles like this were common and simply not recorded among the many large miracles that Jesus performed. Also, this is a miracle that could easily be explained away. Someone could say that the mother-in-law was faking it and when Jesus helped her up she could not fake it any more. Or they could says that it was a coincidence. In addition, Jesus’ motives in healing someone like this could have been viewed cynically. He only healed her because He wanted someone to serve Him. Thus, the lesser miracles that could be criticized and taken out of context would not have been included in the gospels. Peter includes this one because it is part of his personal testimony of being with Jesus.
Another reason for Mark to include this miracle is to show a typical day in Jesus’ life and ministry. Meyer in his commentary says that Mark emphasizes Jesus’ service to mankind, and this day shows Jesus’ typical kind of service. Meyer says in his commentary that in Mark the “emphasis is laid on the unresting labors of Jesus, who went about doing good. In illustration of this trait in the Master’s life, the evangelist narrates the proceedings of two typical days, the one at the beginning, the other at the close of His ministry. The first typical day is recorded in this chapter, Mar_1:21-38. The morning was spent in the synagogue, where at the close of the service the demon was cast out; the afternoon witnessed the healing of Peter’s wife’s mother; the evening beheld the throng at the door, whom he healed. Early next day He had gone forth for prayer, and forthwith started on a mission throughout all Galilee.”
(Revelation of God) Jesus packed as much activity for His Father in one day as He possibly could. He knew that He had only a very short time to minister to humans physically, and He had to get in as much intervention as possible. He knew that timing was crucial. Thus, He did not want the demons to make His identity as the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel, known too soon. He was with people constantly ministering and teaching them. Thus, He used the night time to spend alone with His Father away from the crowds and duties.
(Application) I need to use my time away from people to know God better. This time is precious and needs to be used wisely rather than squandered in extra sleep and pointless games. Instead of feeling that I have wasted my days doing nothing, I need to use the time to be with God so that when the busy schedule starts up again, I will be filled to the brim with God.
(Prayer) Help me to use my time wisely and that my activities will serve You. I do not have the wisdom to know when something is needed, so please tell me when and what that You want me to do to help others. Guide me in difficult situations and draw me closer to You always.