Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-law

23 Mar Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-law

Read Matthew 8:14-15 (NLT)
Thought for the Day: Gratitude changes everything!

Following the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus hiked back down to where the people were. Rather than patting Himself on the back for preaching the most important sermon in human history and then taking a well-deserved break, Jesus used this opportunity to perform a series of miraculous healings. First, He stopped and healed a leper in the midst of a large crowd. Then, He journeyed on the road back to Capernaum where He would have the chance to rest and enjoy some special time with His friends. But even there, He healed a Roman servant.

Finally, Jesus arrived at Peter’s house in what initially appeared to be a great chance to wind down. However, upon arrival, “Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for Him.” Jesus’ willingness to take the time to care for Peter’s mother-in-law served as inspiration for her to respond by serving. To be clear, it was not that she was obligated to pay Jesus back. Rather, His kindness and compassion were so meaningful to her that she wanted to express her own love and appreciation for Him. At that moment, Peter’s mother-in-law experienced a very real sense of gratitude.

Sometimes, life can make no sense in a good way. For Peter’s mother-in-law, an illness was removed and she was healed. Rather than spending another day sick in bed, she was able to serve Jesus. In our lives, we each have times when we experience unexpected positive outcomes. At these moments, we can learn to feel a sense of gratitude for unexpected positives in our lives. Let’s realize that every good gift in our lives comes from God and can inspire us to serve others! After all, gratitude changes everything!

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David