A Precious Mother - 13 Prayers

I love my Mother!

Mother’s Day was less than a month ago, and I’m so glad I still have her with me. She gave us a scare recently. My precious mother, who is less than 6 years from turning 100, fell at the end of March. She ended up with a serious concussion and gash on the back of her head.

The ER, in all their wisdom, sent her back to assisted living where she promptly fell again THE VERY NEXT DAY, hitting her head AGAIN!

She became a whole new person. My puzzle-solving, Bible teaching mother no longer recognized people. And at one point, she told me she was looking in her blankets “for the sheep and the goats” – a reference, I’m guessing, to Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 25:32, “…and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” The sheep sit on His right and will receive their inheritance from the Father. But the goats, sitting on His left, will be sent to eternal fire. But none were in the ER bed with her.

Yet my mother was looking for both. This time the hospital kept her until I could arrange hospice, due to her living will instructions. I’ll include an update at the end of this post.

An ailing mother

In 1st century Israel, it was a custom to care for your mother. So caring for your ailing mother-in-law isn’t a stretch. In fact, it demonstrates an even greater level of compassion and respect.

Our text today is found in Matt 8:14-17; Mark 1:29-31; and Luke 4:38-40. After leaving synagogue, Jesus Christ and the disciples went to Peter’s house. There they found Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with a fever. All 3 reports agree on this point. But then reports differ.

The Doctor’s Report

Luke was a trained physician, so let’s first focus on HIS account. He states that the others ASKED Jesus to help her. So Jesus went in to her bedside and bent over her. (Doesn’t that sound just like a doctor, catching the details of Jesus’ bedside manner?) Then (v39) Jesus rebuked the fever.

Okay. That’s an interesting approach to medicine. But, it had instant results. The fever left her!

The rebuke wasn’t toward the mother

Jesus’ rebuke was clearly aimed at the fever – not the woman. And since it is an unusual and effective healing technique, it deserves some scrutiny.

Jesus also rebuked the storm to “Be still” in Matt 8:26. And here He had just come from the synagogue where He had forcefully/sternly commanded (AKA “rebuked”) a demon to “Be quiet” and leave a man (Luke 4:33-35). Also He freed a boy from a demon with a rebuke in Matt 17:18.

The rebuke was to the fever. I’m not saying the fever was demonic in origin, but some commentaries lean that way. I AM saying that Jesus has command of spiritual and physical healing. It is evident by her healing and subsequent actions that she had a role to play in the Sabbath meal. (More on that in a bit.)

Jesus touched the mother

The fact that Jesus touched this mother who was sick is very noteworthy. In Jewish culture, touching someone who is ill will defile you. It’s scandalous! And on the Sabbath! Shocking!

But Jesus came to fulfill the law. He cares more about PEOPLE than tradition. And He OFTEN healed on the Sabbath – despite the rules and avoid all work.

Why?

Because of His compassion! He helps her stand, demonstrating His servant’s heart.

The mother’s response

Immediately, she gets up and “Began to wait on them” all 3 accounts agree on this point.

Now, we don’t know how long she had been ill. Typically, all the preparations for the Sabbath meal are taken care of the day before. Since the text all use the Greek word “diakoneo” [to wait on as a host or to minister to], we can see that she is in hostess-mode, not chef-mode. We get a glimpse that she is a no-nonsense woman and that her healing is complete and immediate. She serves the Messiah and His men without hesitation.

What it means for me:

Compassion – I am a primary caregiver for both my mother-in-law who lives with us and my mom who is in assisted living 90 miles away. (SHE’S BACK TO HER OLD SELF NOW! ISN’T GOD AMAZING?!) So, I need to show this same level of compassion to those in my care.
Power under control – Jesus’ rebukes are rare in Scripture. Instead, His words were usually gentle – and pointed, when needed. He only rebuked when evil was present. So, I need to keep my tone under control with everyone. Volume and intent matter.
People vs Traditions – Jesus cared more for people than traditions. I need to chill out when someone does something differently than how I would have done it. Love the people!
Get busy – After a touch of the Master’s hand, Peter’s mother-in-law got up and got busy. Due to several factors that have put me into overwhelm-mode lately, I need to get busy and stop my chronic procrastination.

Administrative note:

For those of you who purchased my “Good Grief” course – please bear with me as it gets a much-needed facelift. It’s a slow process, and I have several family health issues going on. I don’t want to shut it down completely, so you will still have access during the “remodel.” You will find reference to upcoming videos, but the links to them will obviously not be active until they are uploaded. Stay tuned as “Good Grief” becomes: