Hunkered Down Devotion

Mark 1:29-31(NRSV)
29 As soon as they[a] left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

If you didn’t pick it up from the context of the passage the ‘he’ in verse 31 is, of course, Jesus. Jesus is the one that heals Simon and Andrew’s mother.  Jesus heals lots of people in the gospels, its sort of his thing.  It’s sort of the thing he does for all of us, too.  It is, really, what the incarnation is all about – healing us and restoring the connection between us and the loving God and father that created us.  

With that in mind, I think it is interesting to look and think about what Simon and Andrew’s mother does after she is healed.  It’s all right there in verse thirty-one, ‘then the fever left her, and she began to serve them’.  First, let me be very, very clear:  This isn’t about her being Simon and Andrew’s mom or a woman generally.  

Instead, this is about her being a chosen, healed and made-whole, child of God who is responding appropriately to what God has done in her life.  What broken things of yours has God healed or mended?  And just as importantly, now that those areas are mended, where are you now free to serve?  Who are you free to serve in the name of Jesus Christ?  What are you free to do to share the light and love of Jesus Christ?  Because, make no mistake, that is the only true and appropriate response to God’s healing and loving presence in our hearts and lives: getting up and beginning to serve.

Sharing God’s Love,
Chip  

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for your loving and healing presence in our lives.  Empower us to serve others in your name. Amen.