And rising up out of the synagogue, he entered into the house of Simon. But Simon's mother-in-law was suffering under a bad fever; and they asked him for her.
The day that began with teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum ends inside a private home, where a woman lies in bed with a fever. Would the One who had just astonished a congregation trouble Himself with one family's private trouble?
Luke puts the two scenes side by side.
Right after the Lord's service in the synagogue, we are called to see His service in the home. The same activities and perfections that glorified God in the public synagogue were just as much at work in the privacy of the home.
His greatness in the synagogue did not put Him above a poor man's doorstep.
The One who was great enough to deliver the synagogue from the power of Satan was not too great to go into the house of a fisherman. He was as gracious as He was great. He took an interest in the trouble there, so that not only the synagogue but the house of His disciple was changed.
Simon turns up here for the first time.
This is another example of Luke's order, which is not chronological. Nothing has been said about Simon so far, and he is brought in without introduction.
The order here follows meaning, not dates.
These incidents display the power of His word in grace over every form of evil that oppresses people. First He deals with Satan's power (Luke 4:35). Then comes the feverish restlessness so often seen in those under that power (verses 38, 39).
Luke does not just say fever; he grades it. (Older translations read "a great fever" where the ESV has "a high fever.")
An instance of Luke's special medical knowledge. "Great fever" describes typhus.
How bad was the fever, and did that matter to Him?
We are not told what kind of fever it was. Luke 4:38 gives the exact diagnosis of a physician, still guided by the Holy Spirit, and calls it a great fever. It is enough for us to know that it was a severe sickness. All sickness and the weakness of disease are part of the fruit and misery of sin in this world. But this I do know, and I find it wonderful: however serious the case might be, and however difficult — or, as people would say, hard — no case was anything but easy to Him.
Their appeal grew out of what they had already seen of Him.
Simply and directly, with growing confidence in their Master's love and sympathy and power, they join to tell Him of their trouble. They had seen His power in the physical world — over the fish of the sea. They had seen His power in the realm of darkness — over the unclean demon. But could He — would He — consider a private sorrow, a domestic affliction? The compassionate Lord removed once for all any uncertainty on this score.
Turpin turns that scene into a question for us.
A man has a sick mother-in-law, or a sick child, or a dying daughter. They are all welcome to the most approachable of men here… Do we know what it is to tell Him of our sickness and our weakness, of our sorrows and our trials, of our pains and pressures? Do we bring them to Him, as far more interested in them than even we are?
A mother-in-law means Simon had a wife. One writer says what that settles.
It was an evil day for Christendom when the idea took hold of men's minds that Christ's servants should remain unmarried… In 1 Corinthians 9:5 Paul insists that he had the same right to a wife as to eat and drink. He points to the example of "the other apostles," and names Cephas (Peter) outright.
The cure did more than end the illness.
Not only was there power to dismiss the disease with a word, but there was, contrary to all nature, strength given to her. A "great" fever leaves a person very weak even after it has gone. A long time must pass before normal strength returns. But here the healing was the fruit of divine power, so Peter's wife's mother not only got up, she served them at once.
- Same Lord, smaller room. What He was in the synagogue He was in the house — His perfections were equally at work in the privacy of a family.
- Told, then trusted. The household just told Him of the trouble. He is the most approachable of men, so our sicknesses and pressures belong in His ear.
- Great fever, easy case. Luke the physician grades the illness. Yet no case was too hard for Him.
- Order of meaning. Luke brings Simon in without introduction because he arranges by meaning, not by date: Satan's power first, then the feverish restlessness so often seen in those under it.
- Healed to serve. Nature leaves weakness behind. Divine power gave strength, so she rose and served at once.
And standing over her, he rebuked the fever, and it left her; and forthwith standing up she served them.
Just before this, Jesus drove an evil spirit out of a man in the synagogue. Then He left and went into Simon's house, where Simon's wife's mother lay helpless with a fever. The same authority that broke Satan's hold now bends over one woman's bed.
One writer notes two gifts in one act. The fever goes, and strength comes that nature could never give.
There is also compassion here — deep and effective pity for people. So our Lord, when He leaves the synagogue, goes into the house of Simon... Not only was there power to dismiss the disease with a word, but there was, contrary to all nature, strength given to her. A "great" fever leaves a person very weak, even after it has gone. Usually a long time must pass before normal strength returns. But here the healing was the fruit of divine power. So Peter's wife's mother not only got up, she served them at once.
Luke gives the diagnosis of a doctor. But one writer says the size of the disease measures nothing about the difficulty of the cure.
We are not told what kind of fever it was. Luke 4:38 gives the exact diagnosis of a physician, still guided by the Holy Spirit, and calls it a great (megalō) fever. It is enough for us that it was a severe sickness. All sickness and weakness from disease are part of the fruit and misery of sin in this world. But this I do know, and I think it is so blessed. However severe the case might be, and however difficult — or as people would say, hard — there was no case that was not entirely easy to Him.
The word Luke chooses is the language of command, not of medicine. He uses it on the storm and on evil spirits, and here He turns it on a fever.
It was the same when He rebuked the winds and the waves, and there was a great calm. He rebuked the demon, and the evil spirit let go of the one it had tormented. He rebuked the fever, and at once Peter's wife's mother got up in full strength and served those around her. His was the word of power, that never fell to the ground.
Another writer notes the order of the cases in Luke. The fever stands between Satan's open power and Peter's awakened conscience.
First Satan's power is dealt with (Luke 4:35). Then comes the feverish restlessness in which that power so often shows itself in those under it (verses 38, 39). Then deeper still, going to the discovery in Peter's conscience of his unfitness for the presence of the Lord.
The household had just asked Him about her. One writer reads what follows as His reply to their prayer.
It appears that Simon's house was always available (as ours ought to be), and such a house will receive blessing from the Lord's hand. In answer to the prayers of loved ones, the Lord stood over Peter's wife's mother... to dispel at once a high fever that afflicted her (vs. 38-39). Such immediate results are certainly miraculous. How lovely is the affection and energy that grace awakens in a believer!
The verse ends with a woman on her feet, waiting on her guests. One writer sees quiet, ordinary work here, not public preaching.
One word more before we leave this — "she served them." I do not believe she went about the place as a great preacher. I do not believe there was anything of that kind. The words do not carry that on their surface or in their substance. But I believe she got up in all the beautiful simplicity, all the beautiful reality, and all the beautiful quietness that marked her position, to serve them. Now she who was struck down by fever is relieved and raised. Instead of being served, she is serving.
All this happened in Simon's own house. One writer sees in it a pattern of how people first come to know Christ.
Simon's wife's mother (Luke 4:38-39) was taken with a great fever which left her helpless. Jesus heals her and fits her to serve Him. It is often like this that the soul meets Christ for the first time. It comes into contact with Him through the blessings He gives to others. When the moment comes for Him to reveal Himself to our own hearts, we find that He is not a complete stranger.
- Rebuked. He speaks to the fever as He speaks to a storm or an evil spirit. It is a word of command, and the fever obeys.
- Great. Luke the doctor calls it a great fever. The size of the disease says nothing about the difficulty for Christ.
- Immediately. No slow recovery follows. She is not just cured; she is given strength that nature alone would have withheld.
- Served. The gift ends in quiet, ordinary work for others — she who was served now serves.
- Watched. Peter saw grace reach his own household first. So when Christ revealed Himself to him, He was no stranger.