This is a pretty unnoticeable story about a sick woman Jesus healed. But it’s more than that. It was Simon Peter’s mother-in-law who was sick. This meant Simon Peter was married while he followed Jesus those three years. His wife is never mentioned. I imagine it must have been extraordinarily difficult for her (and for him). One day Simon was a fisherman – a steady job, a home, a family. The next he’s off traveling the country with a healer/teacher/miracle worker.

What strikes me about this is how much Simon Peter and his wife had to sacrifice for the sake of following Jesus. When I was younger, I couldn’t fathom families being split apart when military personnel had to leave for months to years at a time. Now that I am older, I am still heart-broken by the thought. But I understand now that military folks believe in their work so strongly, it is worth the tremendous sacrifice. It makes me wonder what I believe in so deeply that I would be willing to sacrifice so much to follow it.

Text:

After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.