SHE GOT UP AND MINISTERED TO HIM

Matt.8:14,15 – When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him.

I love to see the response when people are healed. In this story of the healing of Peter’s mother in law there is an instant response from this grateful old woman, she got up from her sick bed and began ministering to the Lord. You can see this story repeated again and again in the Bible; after the supernatural harvest of fish, Peter, Andrew, James, and John put down their nets and followed Jesus. Blind Bartimaeus had a similar response, the moment he was healed he threw down his beggar man’s coat and followed Jesus down the road. And of course there was Saul of Tarsus on the Road to Damascus, he also left everything and followed Jesus. Peter’s mother in law found herself in good company, she was happy to worship the Lord with her motherly talents, she was pouring her gratefulness for this miracle back on the Lord. Here is how Spurgeon describes this moment.

“The cure was instantaneous. It was a very complete cure. We expect to read that the fever left her very weak; but our Lord’s cures are always perfect ones. She felt active enough to rise, energetic enough to work, and we need hardly add, grateful enough to wait upon her Physician, and all his friends. No proof of recovery from the fever of sin is more sure than the holy earnestness of the healed ones to do works meet for thankfulness towards him who has restored them.”

This, to me, is the proof that the miracle receiver really gets it. We are healed to declare His glory, that is what redemption is all about. Capernaum was filled with joy and excitement as the word of this outbreak of miracles spread through the community. Peter’s mother in law was healed, Peter had a record catch of fish, a paralyzed man was healed after his friends tore off Peter’s roof, many demon oppressed people had been set free, and healings too many to count had flooded the streets. The beauty of all of this is that just like Peter’s mom, everyone was ministering to the Lord with their worship and their words. Capernaum could never be the same, changed hearts serving the Lord have a way of changing their world.