Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“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.”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, January 19, 2021
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
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.
What do you believe in so deeply you’d be willing to sacrifice so much to follow it?
