The Healing Ministry of Jesus It will be interesting to think about Jesus’ time table of a day although he never had a comfortable life style with a fixed time table. But there were some common elements in his dailey routine. Early morning Jesus used to get up and go to a lonely place to pray to God. During day Jesus was busy with preaching the good news, healing the sick and casting out demons in synagogues, in the beach, in the street, on the mountain, in the field, in the village or in the city. He went from the city to city and village to village. Till late evening people came to him and Jesus was always available for the people. Besides Jesus found time to visit friends, to dine with them or to stay with them.
In today’s Gospel we read that Jesus stayed with the mother in law of Peter. We heard also about Jesus healing the sick, driving out demons and evil spirits. The theme was similar last Sunday too. I interpreted the posession of evil spirit as egoism, jealousy or addiction from which people need a kind of exorcism today.
As Jesus visited, the mother-in-law of Peter was sick. The visit and the loving care of Jesus should have helped her to understand Peter and Andreas who left everything and followed Jesus instead of taking care of their families. Actually Peter and Andreas had to go for fishing everyday to feed their families. But Jesus called them and they followed Him. A possible disappointment and anxiety could be thought of from the part of the family. In that context the sickness of the mother-in-law of Peter and the healing act of Jesus could be interpreted as a planned event. This visit caused the people of the entire area to know Jesus and to bring many sick and possessed people to Jesus. Many were healed. The family of Peter was convinced about the call of Peter.
We read that they came together in the evening. To the question why did they gather in the evening we could say that during day they were working and as they returned home in the evening they heard of Jesus and the healing of the mother-in-law of Peter. Therefore they gathered together in the evening and brought the sick. Many acts of healing and the driving out demons and evil spirits could be interpreted today with the help of the law of nature. Even in that way of understanding we should recognise that God is the Lord of the law of nature.
people brought the sick people to Jesus and He healed many of them. Actually
People were very much afraid of sickness and death. During the time of Jesus there was very little medical care and treatment. Therefore in cases of sickness most people had set their hope in the mercy and love of God. Today many turn to God when they have lost all other hopes. But there are people who turn first to God in cases of sickness together with other measures to solves the problems. They depend half on God and half of human efforts. Those who believe that they do not need medical assistance, but only God’s help are not reasonable because the God expects from us that we should use the God-given talent to develop and find out solutions to human and natural problems.
Some go to pilgrim Centers and hope healing of their sickness. As believing Christians we should trust God and our fellow human beings in cases of sickness and other problems. But when people find no other way they turn immediately to God. I think in today’s Gospel people turned to Jesus in hope because they had nowhere else to go. Anther reason to come in the evening could be the heat during the day to carry the sick to Jesus. The healing activity of Jesus in Caphernaum began with the healing of the mother in law of Simon. Healing of the sick, driving out the demons and the preaching of the good news were the three activities that Jesus fulfilled in Caphernaum.
Here we could observe the difference between the mentality of the people and the mentality of Jesus. “The whole town gathered at the door”, we read in the Gospels. Every one had the hope to get some kind of favour from Jesus or to experience at least the work of God and His presence through Jesus. Most had wished healing of their sickness. Some might have expected to hear the new teaching of Jesus. Others might have come because their friends were going. If all these people had recognised Jesus and had gone to Him to follow Him people would have not left Jesus during His trial and judgement. Till late night Jesus worked for the people and early morning He went to lonley place to pray. That was Jesus. He was with the people and for the people. Jesus trusted more in Gott. But He was available for the people till late night.
Today we need people to preach the kingdom of God and to do the work of the kingdom who have obtained the mentality of Jesus. Hard work , total commitment to the people, trust in God, prayer life etc . were the characteristics of Jesus’ life. Followers of Jesus may aspire to practice a similar lifestyle. Then the followers of Jesus will be able not only preach the good news today but also to do miracles as Jesus did. God bless you!
Fr. Joseph Pandiappallil MCBS