By: Lisa Wilmore
And when Jesus came 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 (Matthew 8:14).
My Christian Friends,
I greet you in the only name that matters and that name is Jesus the Christ. His name is above all names, and I thank God for the power in the person behind the name.
As revealed in the word of God, Jesus touched many during his earthly ministry, which resulted in physical and/or spiritual healings. His unselfish acts of kindness gave individuals “another chance” when it appeared that all hope was gone. In fact, he is still touching individuals today.
There are many who have been touched by Jesus and survived life changing ailments such as open heart surgeries, awakened from diabetic comas, restored sight, ability to walk again, and many other sicknesses that could have been detrimental or to their demise. With this in mind, God is gracious and generous in his healings in helping others through difficult situations. He has touched many to restore them to health, both physically and mentally. The question to ponder is, “What is your response to his touch?”
In the aforementioned text, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law with a simple touch. Even though her situation is not as severe as others he encounters and heals, he yet takes the time to heal her. However, it is her response to the healing that shows her gratitude. Her healing appears to have been simpler than being healed from an open heart surgery or being released from demons, but she is grateful to what Jesus has done and began to minister (serve) him and the disciples.
It is disheartening to witness individuals’ actions of returning back to their original lifestyle as servants to the enemy rather than becoming wholeheartedly servants of God, after he miraculously heals them. When Jesus touched Peter’s mother-in-law, her actions revealed a spiritual response to a physical touch. In the text, Matthew records “And she arose and ministered unto them” (Matthew 8:14c). In other words, after the touch, there was healing; and after the healing, she served.
What has been your response after the touch from Jesus? Were you thankful and showed your gratitude by serving others? Or did you continue with business as usual. There is a valuable lesson in Peter’s mother-in-law’s actions after the touch. Instead of returning to selfish acts at that moment, she ministered to Jesus and his disciples. Again, what is your response to Jesus’ touch?
