Mark 1:30-31

A DOMESTIC DRAMA

‘But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell Him of her. And Be came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.’

Mark 1:30

In these verses we have a brief, beautiful, and interesting drama. The more dire dispensations of Providence may nevertheless be those around which may circle, and out of which may grow, many blessings.

I. Telling Jesus.—The Saviour knew all about the mother-in-law of Simon; yet He had to be ‘told.’ May we not safely infer that Christ expects us to make known to Him our own and other people’s wants?

(a) At once they told Him. Some people go to Jesus only as a last resource. But Jesus looks not to the time of our going, but to the spirit in which we go. Told Him at once. They were wiser with respect to this woman’s bodily complaint than men frequently are with respect to spiritual disease. Unlike men who talk of ‘doing the best they can,’ they did not wait till they had ‘used the means at their disposal.’ The fact is, they knew a better, a speedier way out of their difficulty.

(b) All of them had a hand in it. ‘They tell Him of her.’ Sometimes, indeed very often, what is everybody’s business is nobody’s business. The effectual fervent prayer of one righteous man availeth much. But, for all that, our prayers should ascend unitedly for all sin-sick and body-sick ones.

(c) They told Him in their own language and in their own way. Whatever else we may be unable to do, we can all pray. Prayer is just talking to Jesus out of the fullness of our hearts.

II. What Jesus did.

(a) He came. In this instance He came at once. He did not always so act. In the case of Mary and Martha, Jesus, after being sent for, ‘abode three days where He was.’ It is ours to go to Him; it is His to determine the time and manner of His coming. And yet Jesus always comes when sent for, though sometimes, through not coming as we expect, we fail to recognise Him.

(b) He took her by the hand. This is His practice still. He comes when sent for, and when He comes it is to take poor sin-sick souls by the hand that He may lead them in those ways which are ways of pleasantness, and in those paths which are paths of peace. Men are lost through having no one ‘to take them by the hand.’ Some men, through patronage, rise to fame, who without help had died in obscurity. What is true with reference to human help is true of all men with respect to Divine aid.

(c) And lifted her up. Such is the power of the Gospel that it enables men to stand morally erect. We cannot rise to true, because moral, manhood unless we be reconciled to God; and Jesus is at once the Way, the Truth, and the Life. ‘Immediately the fever left her.’ Pardon is ours at once when we grasp the hand of Christ.

III. The restored woman’s ministry.—‘She ministered unto them.’ There is an amplitude and completeness about all that God does. He is the ‘Lord that healeth’ all our diseases; He delights in mercy; He saves unto the uttermost. This woman was more than convalescent, she was made whole. Then it was she ministered unto them. This showed her gratitude. We are saved to work. ‘Freely ye have received, freely give.’ Two ways this can be done: by precept and by example.

All this arose out of a cure of sickness. The whole creation groans and travails in pain, and Christ says, ‘Look unto Me, and be ye saved.’

Illustration

‘A touching incident in the “Life of Dean Hook” shows in a humble way that true gratitude will find expression. When he was leaving Leeds a fund was raised to present him with a testimonial. Among other gifts was the sum of fourpence (“fourpenny-pieces” were then in circulation) from a pauper woman. Twenty years before Dean Hook had been used of God to the conversion of this poor woman’s daughter.’