XXXII.
Healing Peter's Mother-in-Law and Many Others.
(at Capernaum.)
A Matt. VIII. 14–17; B Mark I. 29–34; C Luke IV. 38–41.
c 38 And he arose out of the synagogue [where he had just healed the demoniac], b 29 And straightway, when they were come out of the synagogue, they came { c entered} b into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. [Peter and Andrew had dwelt at Bethsaida (John i. 44). They may have removed to Capernaum, or Bethsaida, being near by, may be here counted as a part, or suburb, of Capernaum. Its name does not contradict this view, for it means “house of fishing” or “fishery.”] 30 Now Simon's wife's mother lay sick of { c was holden with} a great fever. [The Papists, who claim that Peter was the first pope, must confess that he was married at this time, and continued to be so for years afterwards (I. Cor. ix. 5). Celibacy is unauthorized by Scripture (Heb. xiii. 4 ). God says it is not good (Gen. ii. 18 ). Luke speaks as a physician; for Galen, the father of medicine, divided fevers into little and great.] a 14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother lying sick of a fever. b and straightway they tell him of her: c and they besought him for her. [Their interest in her shows the spirit of love and kindness which pervaded the home.] b 31 and he came c 39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever [Though it was an inanimate force, it was still subject to rebuke, as were the winds and waves of Galilee—Matt. viii. 26]; a 15 And he touched her hand, b and took her by the hand, and raised her up [thus showing the miracle came from him, and that he felt a tender interest in the sufferer]; c and it { b the fever} c left her: and immediately she rose up { a arose,} b and she ministered unto them. { a him.} [Her complete recovery emphasized the miracle. Such fevers invariably leave the patient weak, 171and the period of convalescence is long and trying, and often full of danger. She showed her gratitude by her ministry.] b 32 And at even, a when even was come, c when the sun was setting, { b did set,} c all they that had any sick with divers diseases, brought them unto him; b they brought unto him all that were sick, and them { a many} b that were possessed with demons. [Their delay till sundown was unquestionably caused by the traditional law of the Sabbath which forbade men to carry any burden on that day (John v. 10). The Sabbath closed at sundown ( Lev. xxiii. 32). The distinction is drawn between the sick and the demon-possessed. Lightfoot gives two reasons why demoniacal possession was so common at that time, viz.: 1, the intense wickedness of the nation; 2, the addiction of the nation to magic, whereby the people invited evil spirits to be familiar with them.] c and he laid his hands on every one of them, a and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all c them a that were sick: 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet [Isa. liii. 4] , saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases. [Isaiah's vision is progressive; he sees, first, a man of sorrows; second, a man sorrowful because he bore the sickness and sorrows of others; third, a man who also bore sin, and healed the souls of others by so doing. Such was the order of Christ's life. His early years were spent in poverty and obscurity; his days of ministry in bearing, by sympathy and compassion, the sicknesses and sorrows of others (John xi. 35; Mark xiv. 34); and in the hour of his crucifixion, he became the world's sin-bearer—John i. 29; I. Pet. ii. 24.] b 33 And all the city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many demons; c 41 And demons also came out from many, crying out, and saying, Thou art the Son of God. And rebuking them, he suffered them { b the demons} c not to speak, b because they knew him. c that he was Christ. [Those who are disposed to frequent spiritual seances and to seek information from mediums should remember that the Son of God permitted his disciples to receive no information from such sources. He forbade demons to speak in the presence of his own, even on the most important of all topics.] 172