The Heart of Jesus

When we look at Jesus’ life, we see all sorts of remarkable things. He walked on water, he raised the dead, he himself was raised from the dead, and scores of other miracles. The Bible tells of countless people he healed from a variety of diseases including leprosy, serious bleeding issues, and blindness.

However, I had never paid much attention before to the story in Mark 1:29-31 until the other day when it caught my attention. It begins like many other accounts from Jesus’ life with Jesus preaching and healing people at the synagogue. Then he leaves and he heads to the home of some of his disciples, Simon and Andrew. When he arrives, he discovers Simon’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever. Mark 1:31 says, “So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them.” The story goes on to say later that night many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Simon and Andrew’s house and Jesus healed them all.

Surely the numbers of sick and demon-possessed people were grateful for the miracles Jesus performed for them and they brought much glory to God. But I love the gentle moment Mark allows us to see when Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law from a simple fever. And Jesus didn’t do it in a grand or public way. He merely grabbed her hand and helped her sit up.
Although the Gospel of Luke adds that Jesus rebuked the fever, I like the tenderness Mark’s account highlights. It reveals the relational and loving character of God. Jesus probably knew this woman before the incident, considering she was a close family member of one of his disciples. I imagine when he got to Simon’s house to find his mother-in-law sick, Jesus felt compassion for her and without a second thought went to go make her well.

Another reason why this story stood out to me is because a fever seems like a fairly common thing to heal. It very well could have resolved itself in a matter of time. But the fact that Jesus took time to heal this woman demonstrates he cares about all illnesses and issues, large and small. Sometimes it is tempting to think God only cares about the needs of people with really serious problems—people with cancer, people who have lost a child, people going through a divorce. But God hears all your prayers and wants to tend to even your most insignificant problems. He wants to be a part of your day and help you with each obstacle you face. Don’t ever think something is too small to bring to the Lord. I bet if you start asking, you will start seeing him answer in some pretty remarkable ways.