I have always been bothered by the brief account of the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law, found in the reading from Luke. “After leaving the synagogue [Jesus] 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” (Luke 4:38-39). Bless the woman’s heart! First she was suffering from a dire illness of some type, but as soon as Jesus healed her she got up and started waiting on Simon and the others. Now don’t tell me this was a woman’s place, or that the poor dear was simply doing what she loved. I think we miss the point if we see only a woman waiting on a group of men. The truth is much deeper.
I think that once we have been touched by Jesus, had our circumstances altered and realize that our lives are not what they used to be, then we simply cannot help put reach out to others. “Look what I’ve found!” we might say. It is also in Luke’s gospel that we read of the woman who has lost a coin, who sweeps her house until she finds it, and then calls her neighbors together to rejoice with her (Luke 15:8-10). In her own way, Simon’s mother-in-law is doing the same thing. She is reaching out in response to Jesus. She is doing what she can – serving others – as a way of acknowledging what has been given to her.
If we have been touched by God in some significant way, if the good news of the gospel has brought light into our lives, surely we are called to respond, to act, to share, to give, to make known what we have experienced in some way. Surely it is our feet that are made beautiful by the tidings of joy that we carry to others (Isaiah 52:7). If you have experienced God’s grace in some way, then today is another opportunity to say to others, “Look what I’ve found! Come and celebrate with me!”
Prayer: Lord, may we guided this day to share the good news with others so that more lives may be touched by your grace. Amen.
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