As Simple as it Gets!
And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. Mark 1:29-31
I wish I knew her name, but in the end it does not matter. Simon Peter’s mother-in-law is an every woman/man, brought close to Jesus because of her relationship with one of his followers. She is sick, and Jesus comes, takes her by the hand, and lifts her out of her fever. Her response is precious; she “immediately” begins to serve others.
How profoundly simple this message is. It is the heart of who we are in Jesus. We can’t get stuck in orthodoxy; we must engage in orthopraxy too! In other words, you can talk until you are blue in the face about how you know Jesus, but if this does not press you into service, are you introducing him to others? And if you are not serving others, why bother!
Precious Lord,
Important people in my life caused you to be brought into my proximity, and I came to know you. You lifted me out of my “fever” of sin and doubt, and now I gladly rise to serve. Help me and others understand that right-thinking without right-acting can be a dangerous trap that prevents others from joining in service.
I pray in the name of the Suffering Servant. Amen!
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