New Testament Studies

The Gospel of St. Mark

By Robert C. Crowder

Lesson Eight

Mark 1:29-33 And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her. And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him

We now come to the second miracle in chapter one, the curing of Simon’s mother in law from a fever.

The setting is a Sabbath day and the group is coming out of a synagogue and on their way to Simon and Andrew’s house.  This could have been the same Sabbath as previously discussed, but we do not know for sure.  If it was, there was much to talk about.  Couldn’t you just feel the anxiousness of the four as they had just seen an unclean sprit talk to Jesus and then be cast out with nothing but the very words of Jesus?  No potions, no incantation, just the words of the Living God, saying “Hold thy peace, and come out of him.”  Can’t you imagine how much they wanted to speak to Jesus and find out “How did you do that?”  I think that I would be in that group as I am very inquisitive by nature.  Also these four had just witnessed the unclean spirit proclaim that Jesus was the “Holy One of God!”  

Yes I am sure they had plenty to talk to Jesus about and they were interested in finding a place where they could just talk with Him one-on-one without all the others hanging around.  They found their way to Simon and Andrews home.  When they got there they entered and something was wrong.  “Anon they told him that Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever.”  The Greek word that is used for anon is eutheos which means; directly, at once or soon; as soon as, forthwith, immediately, shortly, straightway.

We must digress here.  First of all we just learned something about Simon that we didn’t know before.  He was married!  This Apostle was married; the keeper of the keys had a wife.  And his mother-in-law lived with Andrew and Simon and his wife.  There are very few verses that tell us of his marriage.  Matthew and Mark both speak of this incident.  The passage in I Corinthians 9:5 sheds light on a few areas of Simon and his wife.  Remember that whenever something comes up the first time in the scriptures we should use the test of firsts.  This is the first time in our study in Mark, that we find out that one called by Jesus to become a disciple had a wife.  Let’s look at what this means:

• Simon had been married

• That he had a wife before and after he became an apostle, and while engaged in the work of the ministry

• That his wife accompanied him in his travels

• That it is right and proper for ministers and missionaries to be married now.

 Notice also that we do not know, nor do we find out later what Simon’s wife’s name was, nor her mothers.  We just know her as Simon’s wife and Simon’s wife’s mother.

The story tells us that Simon’s wife's mother lay sick of a fever.  The Greek word for “sick of a fever” is puresso, which means to be on fire, to have a fever.  Today we know that fever is the result of something else happening in the body and not the disease itself.  In these times, it was enough to say that someone was sick with the fever, everyone understood.

When Jesus found out, he simply went to where she lay and “took her by the hand and lifted her up: and immediately the fever left her.”  Oh the powers of Jesus touch!  It is interesting to see that once healed, she ministered unto them.  The cure to the fever was so engulfing that she immediately felt good enough to minister unto the group.  How marvelous it must have been for her.  She was sick enough with the fever that she was bedridden.  Remember the last cold you had where you ran a fever?  My wife and I have a term for that feeling, “punk.”  You just don’t feel like doing anything.  You don’t feel like eating, drinking even thinking comes with a price.  It just takes time for the sickness and fever to leave the body.  Once the fever has left the body the next step is trying to get strong enough to get up, and then to feel like working takes time.  Not this time.  Jesus' touch and lifting her was enough to get her motor running!  When Jesus cleanses, it is total.  When the sickness is removed the body is cleansed, it is time to get busy.

“And at even...”  The bible tells us that there were perhaps two different times of “even.”  One is clearly at 3:00 PM, the ninth hour as Matthew 27:46 shows or 6:00 pm.  Mark goes on to define the exact time, as “when the sun did set,” so we know this was the 6:00 pm time period.  The time after the synagogue service and “even” would have given people enough time to tell their friends and neighbors what they had seen.  “The demon called this man the Holy One of God” and “he cast the demon out with nothing but his words?”

The town gathered at Simon and Andrew’s house with their diseased and those possessed with devils.

Have you had the experience of having a loved one pronounced with a disease that was life threatening?  Do you remember the sinking feeling of no hope?  I remember the day that they found a “lump” in my wife.  All the signs showed that it was probably nothing, but the doctor wanted to do some further tests anyway.  Then when the tests were done, the doctor told us that my wife had cancer.  That was one of the darkest days of my life.  In all the areas of my life that I had achieved, this was one that there was nothing I could do.  It was out of our hands.

Can’t you just imagine the slight hope of getting a loved one cured?  The times in Jesus’ day held little hope for those with diseases.  There were no pills to be taken, no treatments to be had.  No Hope.  The bible tells us “all the city was gathered together at the door.”  I am not adding to the bible here, but follow how a man and his wife might react to the announcement of Jesus healing the sick.

The husband talking to his wife says, “This man talked to his neighbor, who talked to someone who knew someone that had been at the synagogue who saw the demonic man cleansed.   Do you think it could it be possible?  Could this man cleanse our little girl of her disease?  Could this man help our little girl to walk again?  Is it possible?”  He tells his wife to get their daughter ready that they were going down to Simon’s house.  Yes he had just talked to the neighbor and there is a man that is healing people at the synagogue and he is now at Simon’s house.  Quickly, Quickly our little girl may be able to walk again!”  When the husband, wife and little girl arrive they are amazed that others had the same idea.  Now they find that there might be more to this than they hoped.  For here was a whole town at the door of Simon’s house for the same purpose.

Imagine the hope and the excitement of those that were gathered with their friends and loved ones in front of Simon’s house.  They went expecting.  That is the way we should come to Jesus, expecting.

Notice in verse 34, And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.  Can you imagine all the joy in the city of Capernaum that night?  Roll up your birthday, all the holidays plus Christmas morning into one and it would not measure up to the pure joy of that evening.  Jesus healed the sick and cast out devils.  WOW, what a night!

ã 2002 bobsbiblestudies