Matthew 8:14-17 "And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."
We do not get many glimpses into the lives of the disciples. The focus is on Jesus, and it should be. However, we also need to realize that His disciples when He was here on earth were not a group of “super” Christians. They were everyday men and women with everyday existences made extraordinary by the presence of Jesus.
It appears that Peter owned a home. Historically, this was uncommon for fishermen in that day. They were generally not well-off economically and rented their homes and even their fishing boats. Peter must have been a very hardworking man to support his family on such a level.
It was common in that day for extended family to live in the same house. While this verse only mentions Peter’s mother-in-law, there could easily have been other family members residing in the home. Peter’s wife, and possibly others, would have been taking care of his mother-in-law since she was sick enough to be in bed. This scene is touching in its simplicity: Jesus came into Peter’s home, saw the woman in bed with a fever, walked over and touched her hand, and the fever left her.
She did not need any recovery time as is often the case when someone is just getting over being bedfast from a fever. The result of Jesus’s touch was immediate and powerful. Being touched by Jesus caused her to get up and minister unto Jesus and all who were in Peter’s house. Although the narrative here does not say so explicitly, I imagine some of those at Peter’s house went out to tell their friends and neighbors about this miraculous recovery.
Word spread to the extent that by evening many brought their loved ones to Peter’s house to be seen by Jesus. Whether you believe the “devils” to be real entities or metaphors for disease, one thing is clear. The WORD of Jesus cast out whatever it was that was making them infirm and they were all healed. Something in verse seventeen has really stood out to me today concerning the healing that Jesus did (and does).
According to the words of the prophet Isaiah (which were God-inspired), Jesus did not simply cast out sickness, He took it and He bore it. There was a price that He paid for our healing. In the same manner, He did not simply cast away our sins, but He paid for that love with His life. He took our sins, and He bore them on the cross so that, by His stripes we are healed!
Dear ones, Jesus is still healing us today by His word. As the Holy Spirit reveals His truth in us, we find our sorrows and our burdens taken away. When Jesus, through the Holy Ghost, comes to us and touches our hand, we can get up and minister to Him and His children. And when we come to our final breath here, we are healed of all our infirmities for all eternity!