“Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told Him [=Jesus] 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 1:30-31)
Yesterday we saw that the Lord Jesus has power over evil spirits. He freed people from their power. But demonic bondage was not the only problem people struggled with. Many suffered from all kinds of diseases. They too came to Jesus. And Jesus healed them!
The first sick person Mark tells us about is a woman with a fever. Jesus healed her completely in an instant. Other sick people also regained their health. Mark tells us about a leper, a paralytic, someone with a withered hand, a woman with prolonged bleeding, and, in summary, “many who were sick with various diseases.” This list makes it clear that no disease is beyond Jesus’ power.
The healings were first and foremost a blessing for the sick who regained their health. But these miracles were also important for bystanders: they demonstrated that Jesus had supernatural power. He was not just a man with an interesting message, but could truly help people. Moreover, the healings gave a glimpse of God’s coming Kingdom, which had already been announced by the prophets: “And no inhabitant will say, ‘I am sick’; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.” (Isaiah 33:24)
Jesus is no longer on earth to heal people. How are these stories still relevant to us?