NOTES for Luk 4:38-44
38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. |
39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. |
40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. |
41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ. |
42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. |
43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. |
44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee. |
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Why do three evangelists give attention to this one of Jesus' first miracles, the healing of Peter's mother-in-law? Perhaps the reason lies in the genre of the Gospel: testimony. Testimonies are strong and convincing when they are not anonymous, when they speak not in general about some healed people whom the witnesses themselves never met, but about concrete people known to the listeners or close to those whom they know. Everyone knew Peter, and his mother-in-law is a very concrete and convincing example.
It is interesting that all three evangelists emphasize one detail: "She immediately rose and served them." This does not mean, in all probability, that such behavior was uncharacteristic of her. Rather, the point is that miraculous healing is given to a person not without purpose, for God does nothing without purpose, but for service, because this is exactly how love expresses itself in behavior.
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