St Margaret's Church Prestwich

Rev Christine preached this sermon on Wednesday 15 January 2025. Here it is for you again.

The Christmas season can seem a bit like a rollercoaster or yoyo as we move from Jesus being born, as a boy in the temple, being baptised by John in the River Jordan and now to even later after he’s gathered his disciples and they go to Peter’s house and he heals Peter’s Mother-in-law.

This healing takes place after quite a few other events, like changing water in wine, preaching from Peter’s boat, but this is the first physical healing we hear about at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

However, Mark seems to be rushing through some parts of Jesus’ life to get to the end, to the resurrection, but let’s stay with Peter’s Mother-in-law.

I want us to imagine we are looking through the window into Peter’s house.  We see Simon, remember he becomes Peter, Andrew, James, John and Jesus.  We probably see his Mother-in-law, unfortunately, like many of the stories of the time the women are not named.  She has been lying ill with a fever, which in those days would likely be life threatening, but Jesus has healed her.  He is the one who takes her and us by the hand and lifts us up.  Someone who can relieve our pain, someone who serves us before we serve him.

I’m pretty sure there would have been other women in the house too.  They then begin serving Jesus and his disciples probably with grateful and willing hearts, because Peter’s mother-in-law has been healed and they are able to serve their guests in the best way they know.  This healing is not just about healing a woman to serve, it is for all of us, because in Jesus’ kingdom, serving isn’t just women’s work.  It’s everybody’s work.

But, let’s pull away from that window, to turn around and look at the road in front of us.

It’s obvious that news has got out about this healing, because by evening we see many people being brought along the road to Jesus.  Mark says the whole city, I don’t think he means a city like Manchester, it was probably more like Simister, and they are gathering around the door to be healed and demons are being expelled with a word of warning not to speak out about who Jesus is, but why?

You would think that Jesus would be happy that the demons know him and fear him.  However, that I think is entirely why Jesus didn’t want them to speak out.  He wasn’t ready for his power to be made known, he didn’t want it broadcast too soon that his ministry was beginning.

He had a job to do, a mission from God, to save as many people as he could, even the Gentiles.   Maybe Jesus, needed to know us better, to share more in our joys, worries, sorrow and how we would face challenges and disasters.  He knew that should his powers become known too soon the authorities would be fearful of him and his followers and begin looking at ways to get rid of him.  He needed to keep under cover for as long as he could, until he was ready to face the challenge of what he knew was to come, the suffering that he knew would ultimately come his way, his death and resurrection.  God had a plan and it had to be seen through to the end.  He had come to serve and to teach us how to serve.

In Hebrews we are told “…that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. ¹⁷Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect,” and the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law demonstrates not just Jesus’ power and authority over sickness, but his compassion and deep concern for the marginalised and those who were suffering.

He is not just concerned with large crowds, but also with individuals’ needs, like you and me.  His healing ministry is fulfilling the prophecies from the OT, mainly spoken about in Isaiah about the Messiah who has authority to heal and restore.  It identifies him as the Messiah for those whose eyes are open and who is willing to listen and to become his followers.

Here Jesus is setting an example for his disciples illustrating the call to service.  To serve others in the same way that Peter’s mother-in-law serves those gathered in her home and an illustration that his followers are called to serve others in response to his work in their lives.  So, how much more should we serve the one who gave his life for us.

The one who by his example of compassion and love healed a sick woman and many others before seeking the solitude of a quiet place to pray, to prepare himself for the journey ahead.  The one who calls us to follow him and to serve others in his name.  Amen.