Luke 4:38-39

chapter four, I want to read verses 38 and 39 for our text and study this morning. Luke chapter 4 verses 38 and 39 for our text and study this morning. And he arose out of the synagogue and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever. Maybe he sought him for her. and he stood over her and rebuked the fever and it left her and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. God blessed to us his sacred and holy word this morning. Years ago I read a story that came out of Wilmington, North Carolina. It was a youngster who decided that he was going to profit from his illness it seemed that he had contracted measles. And because he had the measles, he was able to get out of school. The disease kept him out of school. Measles, you know, break out in your body with all these red splotches and make itchy and very contagious. Well, this boy got word to his friends that they could also dodge school by getting the measles. In fact, for 10 cents, he’d leave his bedroom window open and they could sneak in, sit with him for a little while, and go home, contract the measles, and they could dodge school too. Seven of his fellow schoolmates took him up on his offer, so he made a profit here selling his measles. I told you that story because we want to make a, we’re going to hopefully gain spiritual profit from looking. at sickness this morning from this text of scripture. Jesus has been preaching at the synagogue at Copernium, and you recall that he has cast out a demon that was found in a man who was at the synagogue, who was disruptive when Christ was teaching. At this point, we find that Jesus and disciples retire and they go to Simon Peter’s house. he was from this area. He did a lot of fishing, evidently, on the Lake of Galilee and so forth, and so he’s right there nearby where the fishing is to be found. And though our Lord went to Peter’s house, the rest, he didn’t find the place free from trouble. When he got there, we find that while Peter, one of the principal apostles, apostles, was married, his mother-in-law lived with him. and she was very sick. She had a great fever, we’re told, here. And so Jesus is going to heal her and thereby gain more glory in this map. Now, I’m not going to dwell on this, but you see that Scripture puts the lie to the Roman Catholic teaching that Peter was never married. He has a mother-in-law. He has to be married. And so this whole idea that you must remain celibate if you’re in the ministry or something of this, or the priesthood. is not true. Because the one they claim is the first pope, so to speak, we find he is a mother-in-law. Our focus is going to be profiting spiritually from Simon Peter’s wife’s sickness. Mother’s, Simon Peter’s wife’s mother’s sickness. What you can learn about the Savior here is something that we want to ponder and how to think about sickness. Those two ideas I’d like to focus upon from this text. There’s much thinking about sickness, which I believe is unbiblical, that goes about in our society, and we must be aware of it. Now, let me begin by saying of this. As one of God’s people, your family may be troubled by severe physical by severe physical afflictions. You’ll notice here that Simon’s wife. wife’s mother was taken with a great fever. Peter was one of the inner circle. He was one of the closest disciples to Christ. Peter, James, and John, they’re always mentioned as, you know, up going up on the Mount of Transfiguration and so forth. They’re like special. But this close relationship with Christ did not preserve his household from sickness. sickness struck the family. His wife’s mother was seized with a violent fever, confined to bed, and is dangerously ill. We assume that Peter’s wife and Peter’s mother were also believers. We know his brother was Andrew was a believer. From earlier in John’s Gospel, you find that his brother was also a believer. So Peter had left his fishing business. He has been following Christ. He has been trained, being trained, I should say, in the work of the ministry as he prepares to learn under Christ here and teach himself eventually. But however dedicated, a person may be deserving Christ, it doesn’t mean the sickness may not strike his family. Look at the home of Martha and and Mary and Lazarus in Bethany. The Bible tells us, Behold, he whom thou love us is sick. That’s the word they sent to Jesus. The very one that he loved, Lazarus, is sick. And Scripture reveals that Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary and Lazarus and John 11.5. But it doesn’t mean that they would be exempted from serious illness and even death, because Lazarus will doctorate. The Lord Jesus, who had great power over all these diseases, could have, no doubt, kept sickness from Peter’s household and could have kept it from the household of Mary and Martha and Lazarus. But he did not think that best. And therefore, there is sickness that comes upon the family. So Peter’s wife’s mother and Lazarus were allowed to be very sick, to be in pain. agony to languish like other people who are troubled in mankind. Christ’s love for you doesn’t prevent serious illness from occurring. Sometimes people indicate to us that if you really had faith in the Lord, you wouldn’t get sick. I said, well, if you really had faith in the Lord, you wouldn’t get sick. either or that everybody dies, right? The truth of the matter is, even the ones that the Lord loves very dearly get sick at times. Sickness by its very nature is trying to us, who are flesh and blood, because of all the pain and agony associated with it. So Peter’s mother-in-law, writhing in her sickbed, burning up with a fever, is unable to do anything to help with regard to the feeding and the caring for Jesus and his disciples at this point. Now, your body and your soul are strangely intertwined in some fashion, and whatever vexes and weakened your body also has some effect upon your soul. Even if Peter’s mother-in-law’s mind were willing to serve Christ and the disciples, her flesh was too weak, and she couldn’t get out of bed to do so. Sadly, you learn how bodily ailments prevent you from serving the Lord as you would like to at times. It’s a great hindrance. However, we must always remember that God sends illness for good purpose. You might say, well, what good purpose can come out of illness? Well, sickness draws you closer to Christ. Sickness draws your affections away from the world. Sickness draws you to the scripture. scriptures to learn more of the Lord and his purposes and to prayer that you may seek the face of the Lord and you pray with much more diligence. Sickness develops your faith and your patience and it increases your hope in Jesus Christ the Savior. Also sickness reminds you to think upon the things that are above. where your heavenly home is. Because in this life, sin has brought misery and sickness and even death. There is a life to come. So these are the kinds of things that would benefit us if we study these things. I had someone at the dialysis clinic one time say to me, when he found out I was in ministry, he said, you know, aren’t you mad at God? for you know causing this to happen in your life and my thinking was that that’s not what I was thinking about being now why would I be mad at God I’m thinking well I either have to witness to someone here or I have to learn more faith or more patience and that’s why I’m going through all this and that’s what I told him which would think it went over his head because he he’s not thinking on that level but as the people of God we should be thinking about what is what graces are being developed here What is God doing in my life through this sickness? Never doubt Christ love, because serious sickness comes to your house. Remember Lazarus, whom the Lord loved, was very sick. It wasn’t because the Lord didn’t love him. So here’s the first point we see here, and that is this. As one of God’s people, your family may be troubled. by severe physical afflictions. The second thing we learn is this. When your loved ones are sick, you ought to appeal to the great physician for help. And we see here in verse 38, they besought him for her. Asa the king of Judah was rebuked for relying upon the king of Syria and not turning to the Lord for help. And during the 39th year of his, his reign we read that he was diseased in his feet and his disease was such that it was exceedingly great. And then you read those ominous words in the book of 2nd Chronicle 16 and verse 12. Yet in his disease, he sought not the Lord but to the physicians. Wow. He didn’t turn to the Lord. Now there’s nothing wrong with seeing the physician. But there’s something wrong if we neglect the Lord and only look to the physician, only look to man. He died within two years, we’re told. And there was nothing wrong with seeking the physicians, but he did. You can’t do that exclusively, which is what he did. And not appeal to the Lord. That would be a great sin. He suffered and died because he neglected the one who could help him. and now is the Lord. Peter and the others at the house besought the Lord for her in order that she might be healed of the sickness. We ought to follow his example. Take the case of the person who is laid upon your heart and spread it before the Lord. Tell the case to Jesus, just as you would explain the condition to a physician or doctor. explain the situation. Lay it out before him. They besought him. They begged for his help. They pleaded with Christ to intervene on behalf of the mother-in-law. We should do so with regard to our family members or fellow believers. Plead God promises to the Lord. Plead the great need of his intervention. Plead for his power, which we know is able to, to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. Plead the glory that will come to Christ if he would cure this disease. Let your intercession be passionate and heartfelt and intense. Tell Jesus you believe that he’s able to do this that nothing is too hard for him. Christ is the great physician. And we must come to him with confidence. and plead for him to help. Mary and Martha sent for Christ when Lazarus was very sick, but they didn’t prescribe what Jesus should do in their brother’s case. They simply acquainted him with their brother’s situation. They said, Lord, behold, he whom thou loveest is sick. They appeal here to Christ’s great love for one of his own. Lord, Lord, consider how the one you love suffers also. Martha and Mary simply sought the Lord and burdened their hearts to him about their brother. Do we not have a high priest? Is he not touched with the feelings of our infirmities and our weaknesses? He is full of compassion. He is acquainted with grief. And friends, he can sympathize with us in our suffering and the suffering of those. family. Cast thy burden upon the Lord is what God tells us to do. And follow the example of Peter here. He besought the Lord. They besought the Lord. So when your loved ones are sick, you ought to appeal to the great physician. Third thing we see here is this. You ought to believe Christ has power over bodily diseases. Now notice verse 39. And he stood over her and rebuke the fever and it left her. You should believe that Jesus Christ can help no matter how sick a person may be. Now, the woman here was laid up by a terrible fever, greatly afflicted in body, weakened, confined to a bed, it seems. This sick woman was rendered unfit to do anything for Christ and his disciples. Everything she touched could be infected if she was. she’s sick like this, especially foods. But scripture indicates to us, even though she was taken with this great fever. And high fevers are very dangerous, as we know they can be very serious, in some case, life-threatening. Perhaps she had gone to the doctor and couldn’t find any help. But Peter and the others still believed, despite the seriousness of this sickness, that Christ could help her. No matter how desperate. The condition of the individual you intercede for, nothing is too hard for God. That’s what we always have to keep in mind. Even when the physicians can do no more, Christ can. So you should believe that Jesus Christ can help no matter how sick a person may be. You should believe in Jesus Christ healing power. He rebuked the fever and it left her. Wow. The Lord spoke. And the fever departs. It reminds us of the same manner when Christ. spoke and stilled the storm and the winds and the sea just spoke and all of a sudden everything calmed down or he spoke and the demon came out of someone now he just speaks and the fever comes out of the mother-in-law here one moment she’s gravely ill the next she’s perfectly well this is the Christ to whom we pray. He simply commands, and it’s done. This is the confidence you may have when you bring your desperate cases to Christ that he’s able to do this. You should believe that in Christ’s power to heal. Thirdly, you should believe the prayer of faith shall save the sick. James 515. When you beseeched Jesus on behalf of another, you have to do so in faith. You know, scripture tells us, if a man appeals to the Lord, let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. James 1, 6. Or what Jesus told us, whatever things you desire when you pray, believe that you shall receive them and you shall have them. Believe that you’ll receive them. Have faith that this is going to happen. Faith should be the source of all. prayer. So when we go to Christ, why would we go if we didn’t believe he could help us? We go because we do believe he can help us. Jesus said to the two blind men who requested his help, believe ye that I’m able to do this. And they said, yay, Lord. And then Jesus touched their eyes and said, according to your faith, be it unto you, and they were healed. The Bible says. Do you believe I can do this? So when you pray, do you believe Jesus can do this? Believe in Christ’s power to prayer and then go to him and plead with him on behalf of the one who’s sick. There are times we have no specific promise whether God is going to heal someone or not. But we can always trust in his power. Christ has the power to do it. If it be his will, he can do it. And that’s what we will base our plea upon. The key thing is seeking his help for the sick in faith. In faith. The story is told about time when there was a famous Scottish minister who prayed during the morning service for rain because the land had drought for a while and they needed rain. While when he was getting prepared for the afternoon service, he used to have three services on Sundays in some places. When he was getting prepared for the afternoon service, he was ready to go out. the door’s little daughter said to him, Daddy, aren’t you going to take the umbrella? He said, well, why do we need the umbrella? He said, well, you prayed for rain, dad. You know, aren’t you going to take the umbrella? Okay, we’ll take the umbrella. So they took the umbrella. And when you know what they needed on the way home, and it rained on the way home and they had to use it. But here is the faith of a little girl. Well, you prayed for rain. Don’t you believe it’s going to come? You know? So we pray, we pray in faith believing just like that. little child, not doubting, but believing that Christ can answer that prayer and help us. So you ought to believe Christ has power over bodily diseases. Fourthly, when you are healed, you ought to be eager to serve Christ as people. And immediately, she arose and ministered under them, the last part of verse 39. Normally, when you recover from a great fever like this, it takes a few days before you gain your strength and you’re able to do anything sufficient. However, when Jesus healed this woman, no weakness remained. And therefore, she could immediately serve. When Christ heals you of bodily illness, your desire ought to be to serve the Lord with the strength now that you’ve been given back. Often your recovery will not be so instantaneous. You may have to wait to wait to. regain your strength. But is it not amazing to see this woman go to the kitchen in haste and prepare the evening meal as soon as she’s made well? Your spirit should be willing, even if your flesh is weak. It should be the first thought. How can I serve the Lord? Immediate service. We see grateful service here. Can you imagine the joy she had in producing the meal for Christ and the disciples? You have the idea. she’s delighted to do this. She’s very pleased that she’s no longer sick and is able to provide this meal for the disciples in Christ and get in the kitchen. She’d better rather be in the kitchen and the bed. What gratitude beamed from her face as she prepared the meal for the table. It was no chore for her to do this. She did it with a gladness, I think, being thankful for Christ healing. She did what was needful for Christ and his companions who had a hard day of preaching and ministering to people. And so she says, let me see if I can’t prepare a meal for them. The weary preacher and physician needed to be refreshed by food and drink. And she willingly provides that on this occasion. You know, sometimes Christians take their health for granted. Sometimes you may grant it. grow weary and well-doing. However, recovering from a bowel of sickness, you appreciate the health that God has restored to you. And you are enlivened with now new strength to serve the Lord gratefully. As you know, several years ago, I experienced kidney failure and I have to have kidney dialysis three days a week. I wasn’t feeling well. I was almost blacking out whenever I tried to stand and I thought it might be the flu. So I went to the doctors to get some, a checkup, I get something done about it. And the doctor sent me, you know, to get blood test and urine test and CT scan and a host of other little things. And then shockingly, I got a phone call from the doctor and was told, rushed to the hospital, you got kidney failure. He informed me my creatin level was near 13 when it should be about one or two. And most people would have passed out, gone into a coma and died, he told him. And he said, you’re very lucky to be alive. I sort of corrected him and said, well, no, it’s God’s Providence that I’m still alive. But the point was that I could have died very easily. There I spent nine days in the hospital. They ran all these tests on me, and they found some lumps on my liver. and as my kidney doctor told me later, he said, I thought you’re going to last a couple days and you’re going to die in the hospital. So they thought I had liver cancer. So they had to do a liver scope and biopsy and so forth. And then they found out it was benign, these lumps on my liver. And God was good to me in that regard. But I was extremely weak, and it was quite ill all this time. And I was unable to do the work of ministry. And I prayed that if God would give me the strength, and I would use it to do the best I could to preach once again if he enabled me to do so. And God gave me my strength back and eventually allowed me to return to the pulpit. And I remember what a grateful heart I had when I stood there for the first time to preach again after quite a number of weeks without preaching. Maybe 10, 12, I can’t remember how many it was exactly. And there I stood at the pulpit weak, but for the first time I got to preach again. And what a blessing that was. So we were eager to serve when we go through something like that and we’re restored to health. We’re so thankful that the Lord has strengthened us. Well, that little boy with the measles decided the profit from his illness. He said, I can sell my measles to these other kids for 10 cents apiece so they could get out of school. Now, I hope that you may spiritually profit from Peter’s wife’s mother here and her illness in our text. There are lessons to learn from this. And I pray that we may learn as we look at this illness about Christ, about His power, about praying in faith, about believing that he’s able to heal the sick. You know, sometimes people are sick and you wonder, well, why are they sick? Well, maybe God is working in your life, too. to pray for them. Develop your prayer life in praying for them. So all these things are all in God’s ultimate purpose. And we must realize that when he works in these ways that we don’t always understand, but he has a purpose in it. Let us close.