Mark 1:29-31
For the second time in nine years, I heard “we need to biopsy.” Disappointment and anxiety ebbed and flowed for weeks to come. When chronic, debilitating, or life-threatening illness is possible, those who wait for test results know how uneasy that time is. Our minds race to the worst-case scenarios. “Hoping for the best, yet preparing for the worst,” creates unusual tension.
Four weeks lapsed between the initial news and my procedure. Then I waited two weeks for results. Thankfully, for the second time, the outcome was good. I heard the word “benign.”
Other friends received results they couldn’t celebrate. They began their journeys bathed in prayer for the grace of healing or courage or perseverance. Illness, or its threat, changes all aspects of our lives.
When the gospels describe Jesus’ healings, the accounts include more than reports about restoring physical health .They also invite people into new understanding and newfound community. Those seeking God in challenging situations often discover unexpected gifts and express gratitude for them.
Simon’s beloved mother-in-law is sick with fever. After Jesus heals her, she began to serve them (v. 31). Is Mark just reporting that she was healthy enough to do what a patriarchal culture expected her to do? Perhaps. I read this wishing she could get more rest or kitchen help.
But what if Mark is telling us more than just who served supper? What if he’s announcing the newest member of Jesus’ ministry team? Like the others Jesus heals, she responds to her life-changing moment with new purpose. With gratitude she serves with a new perspective, contributes to a greater mission. When Jesus heals what is broken in us, we seldom return to business as usual.
Consider
When has Christ healed something that was broken in you?
Pray
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