Listen here.

Mark 1:29-39

²⁹ And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰ Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. ³¹ And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

³² That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. ³³ And the whole city was gathered together at the door. ³⁴ And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

³⁵ And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. ³⁶ And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, ³⁷ and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” ³⁸ And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” ³⁹ And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The Gospel of Mark moves along at a frantic pace. No time to stop and look at the scenery in Mark. No time to take a selfie. In last week’s text, Jesus preached in Capernaum’s synagogue and immediately a demon shows up. Jesus silenced the demon and cast it out of the man. The people were left astonished and wondering who this Jesus is.

But there is no slowing down. With the loud cries of the demon still echoing in the synagogue, Mark is already herding us to the next thing. “Immediately He left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon (Peter) and Andrew, with James and John.” Into that unremarkable house Jesus enters.

You can imagine the reaction of Peter’s family, “If there aren’t enough chairs, we can sit on the floor. If only we had known You were coming, Jesus – everything is such a mess. We’ve had our hands full taking of mother-in-law, You know what a bother she can be, and our men have been no help at all, off listening to some new Preacher – that is You” (Nagel).

“Immediately” on hearing about mother-in-law, Jesus marches to her. Jesus doesn’t knock on the door to make sure if mother-in-law is decent or presentable enough for Him to enter the room. Jesus doesn’t pause. He simply goes to her. He enters the woman’s room and sits next to her bed – not really a place for a man to be. Here is the Messiah, the Holy One of God, who is preaching about the reign of God – whose presence is the reign of God. Straight to the bed and to the feverish, flustered women He comes. “There is nothing more important in all the world than for Jesus to be there for the sick woman” (Nagel). Sent with the task of redeeming the whole world, Jesus is there just for her.

Jesus takes her by the hand. Jesus lifts her up, and the fever leaves her. Last week, the demon asked Jesus, “Have You come to destroy us?” But now, the Man whose presence puts the fear of fire into demons removes the fire of fever from Peter’s mother-in-law.

She doesn’t begin to worship Jesus. She doesn’t leave her family to dedicate herself to some spiritual service to God. She does what is right for her to do. She serves. She puts on the coffee and cooks her favorite recipe.

You know how weak you can be when you are sick and even when you get better it still takes days for your strength to return? Yeah, none of that here. Mother-in-law moves from coughing, feverish, and bed-ridden to serving. The restoration that Jesus brings is full and complete. No trace of the fever remains. The fever “left” her. Just so you know, that’s the same word that gets translated often as “forgive.”

From that day on she was never the same. She knew to whom she was precious – to Jesus, the Man whom the boys had brought home. That old woman knew that the reign of God had come to her.

Just as Jesus was for Peter’s mother-in-law so He is for you. He doesn’t look for people who are worthy. He doesn’t seek the pure and holy. He walks straight to those who are unworthy. He approaches those who are in need. Only His worthiness matters. He walks to you, not you to Him. He takes you by the hand, you don’t take His. “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength” (Is. 40:29).

Jesus lifted Peter’s mother-in-law up. He lifts you up too. “Lifts you up” – that’s the word for “resurrection.” He resurrects you who are dead in sin. He forgives you, removing your sin and restoring you. He does all this so that “at the last day, [He] will raise up [you] and all the dead and will grant everlasting life to [you] and to all who believe in Christ. This is most certainly true.”

As important as it was for Jesus to do all of this for Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus wasn’t content just raising her up. He wasn’t satisfied healing all the sick and demonized in Capernaum. He insists on moving on. He has one goal in mind. He has come to do His Father’s will. He has come to die. Jesus dies for the same reason you will die – because of sin. Jesus raises you up because He was raised up from the earth on the cross with the sins of the world on Himself. Because of His death, your sins have left you. Because He rose again from the dead, you can know that you too will rise from the dead. In your baptism you were united with Jesus’ death so you too can rise again (Ro. 6:4-5).

Jesus brings the reign of God to you so that He can fill you. You can go from this house raised up by Jesus with your sins gone. Jesus is present here, bringing the reign of God to you. There is nothing more important in all the world to Jesus than to be here for you. He sees your helplessness. He knows your unworthiness. But He is not deterred. He comes to you. Takes you by the hand. Raises you up. He serves you. And all your evil, all your sin, all your badness leaves you.

And your life is forever changed. You know to whom you are important. You know to whom you belong. You know that Jesus has brought the reign of God to you. Amen.[1]

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] I am thankful to a sermon by Rev. Dr. Norman Nagel as inspiration for this sermon.