Displaying items by tag: tlcFeb19

Servants of Excellence

And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately arose and waited on them. Luke 4:39

Reading through Luke’s narrative of Jesus’ life, we quickly find Peter (and others) asking Jesus to heal his mother-in-law, suffering with a potentially fatal fever.

What captures me is not just that Jesus healed her with a quick rebuke of the fever but what happened next: “and she immediately arose and waited on them.”

Okay, no jokes about the hypothetical reason Jesus healed her (“They needed dinner!”). My guess is, upon being healed, Peter’s mother-in-law wanted to get back to living life. No reason to sit around, right?

If Peter and the disciples were Southerners, I can imagine the conversation:

Peter’s Mother-in-Law: “I feel great! While you’re here, let me get something for y’all to eat.”

Peter and the disciples: “No, no. Sit down, momma. We’re fine. Get some rest.”

Mom-in-Law: “Nonsense. Nobody walks out of my place starving! I’d never forgive myself. Don’t treat me like an old woman—now, eat up!”

Peter and the disciples: “Yes, ma’am.”

Obviously, I’ve taken some liberties with the conversation. But the point is important. Once healed, Peter’s mother wasted no time. She got up immediately and began serving those in her home.

While it didn’t happen in this instance, many times Jesus would forgive the sins of someone before healing them of a physical malady. After the forgiveness and the healing, there would be immediate change in the life of the person Jesus touched.

It’s the same with us.

Immediately. If we have something in our lives we regret, Jesus will heal us. Once He does, our healing is full and finished.

Yes, we may need to make amends (as Zacchaeus was willing to do for those he defrauded). But any apologies or restitution are the fruit of healing, which is already complete.

Is there something—anything—in our lives slowing us from living life to the full? Something from last week or long ago? If so, let’s take it to the One who forgives completely. From there, let’s take a lesson from Peter’s mother-in-law.

She understood that once we are touched by Jesus, healing is complete. We are free to go and live life to the full. She knew she could get back to serving those in her world. We can, too.

by Kirk Walden, Advancement Specialist