When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were possessed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” (Matthew 8:14-17, NRSVue)
I have a love-hate relationship with this text because Jesus saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed, and Jesus healed her, and immediately she got up and served them. She served them because in a patriarchal society, that was what was proper for women to be doing. She was restored to her place in community, but she did not have to serve them.
Jesus, in healing people, not only took away the physical infirmities, but he restored people to community.
What can you do to restore people to community?
aSacredRebel 