Mark 1:29-45
“Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons” (Mark 1:31-32)
This early healing in Mark’s gospel of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law has always been a favorite of mine – and not only because it lends itself to the easy punchline: “…and that was the first (and last) time that Peter would be good enough for her daughter” ::rimshot::
No, I like this story because it puts on full display why we pray for people’s health.
I would estimate that 75-percent of all prayer requests I get as a pastor is for someone’s health. Health is that important. And I’m delighted to pray such prayers because the care of the body is the care of the soul – and vice versa. (Side note: Never let anyone convince you there is a real distinction between body and soul in humans. If ever there was such a distinction, the minute God – who is pure spirit – became incarnate in Jesus Christ – who was and is fully human – all body/soul dualism disappeared from the face of the earth for forever). Yes, bodies are important – caring for them, tending to them, making resolutions about them, feeding them, cleaning them – bodies are essential to our spiritual lives. But a healthy body is not a good in and of itself. Healthy bodies are good to the degree that they are put in service to the good. And that’s why I love this healing story. “Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.”
I recognize that this sort of “get up woman and get me dinner” message may be viewed with more than an ounce of suspicion. But bracketing aside that valid concern, the connection between health and service could not be better put on display than it is here. But then the story really gets started because the next line reads: “That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons.” (Second side note: I find it riveting that sick – a bodily concern – is paired with possessed with demons – a soul issue – in such a way that, again, we find body/soul dualism completely disappeared. When it comes to the mission and ministry of Jesus, these two supposedly different things are treated as if of the same kind because, in Jesus, they are).
So, we go from a story of one woman’s healing and her subsequent service immediately into the story of scores of people being healed. The implication is – at least if all these other people follow the woman’s example – that a wave of service is about to hit this town! If every healed person all of the sudden becomes a missionary in response, folks are going to be getting deep into their “To Do” lists!
This is what health and our bodies are for: service. And I think this is an even more important point during this global pandemic. Whether any of us, in particular, have contracted the SARS-CoV-2 virus and been diagnosed with COVID-19 or not, ALL of us are sick with COVID. I don’t say this to minimize the experiences of those who have actually contracted this virus – and certainly not to minimize any of the over 350,000 deaths that have resulted less than a year into this plague, but rather to acknowledge that this is a public (not personal or private) health crisis and, as a result, we are all sick. And that’s a terrible thing. Except, our Lord can and will bring healing. And when He does, I hope each and every person responds by using this health and their bodies to serve others. Amen.
