Over the last couple of
decades my parents have lived in 3 different houses. Each of them was over 100
years old, and each of them was in really bad shape when they bought them. They
bought the first house when I was in high school. It was probably the worst of
the 3. There was an old bed in there that was literally covered with fleas, and
one room didn’t even have a floor. I spent the summer before my senior year
tearing down plaster walls and ceilings in that house. My parents then spent
the next year restoring it to its former glory. By the time they finished they
had what was by far the best house on their block and they began a renaissance
on their street with other people buying run down historical houses and
restoring them.
After several years in that house they bought another that was in almost as bad a condition. They restored I to the point that it, too, was the nicest house on their block. And a few years ago they did the same thing with another historical house.
They’ve also restored a few others and sold them and restored another for a neighbor that was worse than any of the houses they moved into.
In each case, with the possible exception of their latest home, they bought a house that most people had given up on. Homes that in their time were show pieces, but had fallen into such a state of disrepair, that no one was willing to try to bring it back, much less live there. But they restored them to their former glory, and I would argue, beyond to a new, better glory.
Our scripture today gives us some similar stories of restoration.
After several years in that house they bought another that was in almost as bad a condition. They restored I to the point that it, too, was the nicest house on their block. And a few years ago they did the same thing with another historical house.
They’ve also restored a few others and sold them and restored another for a neighbor that was worse than any of the houses they moved into.
In each case, with the possible exception of their latest home, they bought a house that most people had given up on. Homes that in their time were show pieces, but had fallen into such a state of disrepair, that no one was willing to try to bring it back, much less live there. But they restored them to their former glory, and I would argue, beyond to a new, better glory.
Our scripture today gives us some similar stories of restoration.
Mark 1:29-39 - 29As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of
Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever,
and they told him about her at once. 31He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up.
Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening, at
sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast
out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew
him. 35In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got
up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching
for you.” 38He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns,
so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to
do.” 39And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the
message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Last week we read the verses leading into our story for today. In fact, today’s reading is really a continuation of the story we began a couple of weeks ago. Jesus began preaching in Galilee, “The kingdom is near. Repent and believe the good news!” As he was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and he called two brothers out of their fishing boat to come and learn from him. Then he called two more brothers. On the Sabbath, the five of them, Jesus, Simon Peter, Andrew, James & John, went to Capernaum to go to Synagogue. While they are there, Jesus begins teaching. After his teaching all of the people in the synagogue are amazed at the authority he teaches with. He doesn't simply read the scripture and spout off someone else’s interpretation from a hundred years ago. He offers a new interpretation, an interpretation delivered as if he knew exactly what the scriptures said and exactly what it meant for the Jews of 1st century Galilee. Then along comes this man with an unclean spirit. Jesus commands the spirit to leave the man, and it does. Now the people are even more amazed. They have never seen anything like this. This guy is special.
After the excitement of the synagogue, everyone goes home. It’s the Sabbath, the day of rest. So everyone heads home to rest; including Jesus and his new friends. They go to the home of Simon Peter and Andrew. But when they get there, they find Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed. When Jesus finds out she is sick, he goes in and raises her. As a side note the word translated as raised is the same word Mark uses later to announce that Jesus was raised from the dead. It’s also interesting that we’re told the fever left her, or releases her. The word there is often used for the forgiveness of sins, as in we are released or let go from our sins. Jesus releases her from her fever, and she began serving them.
The Sabbath lasts from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. At sunset, when the Sabbath is over, people begin coming from all over Capernaum to see Jesus. Apparently word has spread about his miracle in the synagogue.
Mark tells us that the whole city gathered at Peter and Andrew’s home. They brought all of the sick and demon possessed from the village. And Jesus cured many who were sick, and cast out many demons.
And here is why I mentioned the houses earlier. Because what we have is a story about restoration. A story about several restorations. Countless restorations. Peter’s mother-in-law is in bed because of her sickness. She can’t participate in the lives of her family, she cannot do her work. But Jesus restores her. He restores her health. He restores her to her social world. He restores her to her life. And she begins to serve them. And that can be and has been read as, “She is healed and she went to make them a sandwich.” In other words, after she is made well, she resumes her domestic duties. But this is a different kind of serving. The verb there is diakonia. It is the Greek word from which we get the word deacon. It is translated in several ways: to serve; to minister to; to wait on, as in waiting tables. But we can see the meaning a little clearer when we consider the other places where Mark uses the word diakonia. When Jesus is in the wilderness, the angels serve him, or minister to or wait on him. Diakonia. Jesus in Mark 10:45 tells his disciples that he did not come into the world to be to be served, but to serve. Diakonia. So she did more than just offer them food, or resume her domestic duties. She served, as Jesus came to serve. She ministered, as Jesus came to minister. She is restored to her community, but she is also restored to her calling.
Following the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, many other sick and demon possessed people are brought to Jesus. Again, we see the restoration of these people. Restored to their lives. Restored to their community.
And I would be willing to bet that just like those houses my parents restored, I bet all of these people were restored to a better state than where they began. I bet they were better than before.
The part about being restored to community is important. It says a lot about the people Jesus served, it says a lot about who we are called to serve, but it also says a lot about the importance of community.
In 1st century Galilee, the sick and the demon possessed were not a part of the community. They were cut off from society. Let’s face it, if you were sick in this time you probably were as likely to die as to survive, and you couldn't take the risk of making others sick. And the demon possessed, well, no one wants to be around them. But Jesus restored them to the community. And these healings, set the theme for Jesus and his ministry. Jesus served the outcasts, the most reviled of society. Lepers, demoniacs, a mother-in-law. But not just a mother-in-law. Women has no social status apart from the men in their lives. Their fathers, their husbands, and their sons. For this woman to be known as Simon’s mother-in-law tells us that she was at best socially anonymous and more likely a social outcast.
2 things that we can glean from our scripture: first, Jesus restores. He restores demoniacs, he restores sick mother-in-laws, but he also restores you and me. He restores us when we are broken. He restores us when we are lost. He restores us when we lose sight of our calling. Or when we drift away from the community of believers. Second, Jesus served the outcasts. And that’s where we are called to go. We are restored so that we can help bring others to restoration. And not just people who look like us and live like us or even those that smell like us. We are created to live in community and we are called to restore others to that community.
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