Dealing with a severe or long-term illness can be incredibly isolating. Despite the support of loved ones and caregivers, it's common to feel alone and confined to our world, often limited to our room, bed, or even our own body. One of the most challenging aspects of being ill is the feeling that no one truly comprehends what we're going through. It's understandable why those dealing with severe or chronic illnesses can struggle to maintain hope.
Most people Jesus meets in the Gospels are unnamed, and most people Jesus heals in the Gospels are strangers. However, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus heals someone likely well-known to him.
Luke provides us with a day in the life of Jesus, and it's quite a day! We witness Jesus in action; He is constantly moving from place to place, always on the go. The story opens just after the intense expulsion of a demon in the Capernaum synagogue. After entering Simon's house, Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law, and then the entire town gathers at the door. He spends the whole evening healing hundreds of people suffering from various afflictions. The Gospel account is a medical story because its narrator is a medical doctor who presents Jesus as a healer of both body and mind.
The amount of space within the Gospels dedicated to proclaiming Jesus' healing ministry never ceases to amaze me. Today's Gospel is no exception, as we see Jesus curing Simon's mother-in-law and continuing to heal all those brought to him.
However, as I read and re-read this Gospel, I kept getting pulled back to something other than the miraculous healing powers of the Lord, and that was Simon's mother-in-law's response to the Lord's work. Upon being rebuked of her fever, she gets up immediately and starts serving those present. The joy of being healed and brought back to the community from her isolation and sickness gets her into action. She begins to serve others at once.
It is worth noting that Jesus "rebuked" the fever in this miracle. The term "rebuke" is also used in other instances, such as when Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee by "rebuking" the wind and rain, and when he "rebuked" the demon during an exorcism in the synagogue. The word "rebuke" means to "censure or admonish." Sometimes, solving our problems may require strong admonition or rebuke.
No one enjoys being rebuked. However, sometimes strong words or a strong will are necessary for healing or change to occur. It is not every day that Jesus rebukes our fatal illnesses, but it is every day that he touches our lives somehow. Today, we pray that we will be attuned to these moments of grace and respond to them with hearts of thankfulness as we serve God and our neighbor.
The Lord's miracles and rebukes are often quiet and ordinary. The tiny miracles and admonitions performed behind closed doors allow ordinary people to lead lives pleasing to the Lord, to serve Him, and to show others His love.
Father Boby John, C.S.C., ordained a priest in the Congregation of Holy Cross in 2008, worked as a pastor and as an educator with tribal populations in Northeast India for thirteen years. Originally from Kerala, India, Father Boby grew up with three siblings. He is a dedicated and detailed educationist with experience in educational leadership. He is currently working as an executive assistant at the world headquarters of Holy Cross Family Ministries, North Easton, Massachusetts.
