Jesus Cares For Us

Mark 1:29-39 Most of the time I don’t even realize I’ve done it until Caroline says, “What was that big sigh for?”  And sure enough I’ve been thinking about some disappointment or discouragement and the sigh comes forth from my heart even when the words don’t come forth from my mouth.

As I was reflecting on this text this week and trying to think of a way to summarize the saving ministry of our Lord who heals and sets free and preaches the Good News, the words of our sermon hymn leaped off the page:  that Jesus gives songs for sighing.  What a beautiful summary of our Lord’s mission and ministry!

In the pages of Holy Scripture, it is the prisoner and the sorrowful and the needy who sigh—those whose broken human condition is beyond words.  But the Bible is equally clear that it is Jesus who comes to our rescue and changes the voice of our inmost heart from sighing to singing.  The Bible says that:

Jesus left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.  And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

            These events follow the scene from last week’s Gospel lesson where Jesus teaches authoritatively and sets a man free from demonic possession. 

Now, a woman with a fever may not seem as desperate a situation—and Jesus’ healing her maybe not as dramatic--but that is only because we live in the modern world.

It wasn’t very many years ago that something as simple as the flu or strep throat could be a death sentence.  Before vaccinations and before antibiotics people regularly died of diseases and infections that today barely keep us out of school or off work.  And so Peter’s mother-in-law was in a bad way until Jesus took her by the hand and healed her and her sighing and that of her loved ones turned into songs of thanksgiving.

A fever may not be as dramatic as a demon possession but there is only One who, with a word and a touch, can deliver us from both—and that is Jesus. 

God had promised his people that very specific signs would reveal the identity of the Messiah:  that he would heal the sick and give sight to the blind—that the lame would walk and the prisoner would be set free—that each part of our broken human condition would be made right by the Messiah as a sign of what would one day be true for all God’s people--forever.  That is what Jesus continues to do in our world today.

When you walk into a Spohn Hospital you see a sign with their mission statement:  “We exist to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ” and they are exactly right!  That is what all medical cares does, whether the provider and the patient realize it or not.

Thank God for the folks at Spohn who understand what medical care really is: the ongoing, healing ministry of Jesus in the world today.

Jesus is the Great Physician of body and soul whether that healing takes place directly and miraculously like it did that day with Peter’s mother-in-law-- or whether it takes place through the means of “human skill and intellect—medicine and technology” that he has given-- as it often does today. 

All healing is an ongoing sign of the redeeming presence of Christ in his world—renewing those things ruined by sin—including our frail, fleshly bodies—until the day when death is no more. 

When we are sick and when our loved ones are sick, we can turn to Jesus just like Simon and Andrew—James and John did--and ask that he would heal us in whatever way seems best according to his perfect will.  And when we receive that healing (no matter how it comes) we can show our thanks to Jesus by serving those around us with a song in our hearts just like Peter’s mother-in-law did when she was healed by Jesus. 

Singing instead of sighing-- for Jesus’ help and healing was not just for a few folks back then--but for everyone in every place.  The Bible says that:

That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  And he healed 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.

            Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus had disciples who were especially close to him—we think of James and John and Andrew and Simon and the rest of the Twelve who would later be sent out into the world as apostles with the Good News of salvation.  We think of Mary and Martha and Lazarus who were his closest friends on earth.  Of course he would help them! 

But the Good News for us is that Jesus did not just come to help a few people—he came to bring songs for sighing to all people.

The words that Jesus spoke- and the deliverance that took place in the synagogue earlier that day- and the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law --worked faith in the people’s hearts and they came to Jesus trusting that he was able to set them free from all those things that brought forth sighing. 

And not only did Jesus heal their bodies—he healed their spirits—setting them free from Satan’s dominion.  These acts of deliverance revealed Jesus to be the One to whom evil must submit—the promised Savior who frees us from the works of the devil. 

That deliverance from evil was ultimately and finally accomplished at the cross and empty tomb where Jesus defeated Satan and redeemed humanity and conquered death.  And that victor and his victory is still present and powerful in our lives today. 

When we were baptized we were wrestled away from Satan and brought into God’s family.  When we are forgiven the accusing voice of the devil is silenced.  When we receive Christ’s true body and blood in Holy Communion we are assured that Jesus’ victory over evil at the cross and empty tomb are given to us this day—in this place. 

The guilt and shame and fear of death that causes our sighing has been replaced with songs of praise and thanksgiving from hearts delivered and set free-- and our Lord wants those joyous voices of faith to be heard in all the world so that others might believe in him too.  The Bible says that:

Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 

            When Jesus spoke authoritatively—when he healed Peter’s mother-in-law simply at a touch—when he set free those who were suffering under Satan’s tyranny—he clearly identified himself as true God and the Savior of the world. 

But in this scene--seeing our Lord in prayer, we see the mystery of the Incarnation—that Jesus is God in human flesh—that he is one of us--a man like us who needed the same comfort and strength from talking to his heavenly Father that we receive in prayer.

Throughout the Gospels we see our Lord in prayer and certainly that is an example that we should follow in our lives as Christians.  But the real comfort of seeing our Lord in prayer is the knowledge that it is us that he is praying for. 

In the upper room on the night when he was betrayed, he prayed not only for his disciples who were there with him, but for all of us who would believe in him through their word.  He is our heavenly advocate, our great high priest who can sympathize with us for he has lived a life like ours to save us from eternal death.

It is no accident that Mark tells us that on this first day of the week, very early in the morning, while it was still dark—Jesus went to a desolate place and prayed. 

Three years later, early in the morning, while it was still dark—from desolate grave—Jesus’ prayers for our salvation would be fulfilled in his own resurrection—God’s guarantee that we too will rise from our graves—never to die again. 

That is what Jesus had come to do—that is the life he promised—that is the Good News that he wanted the whole world to hear and believe.  The Bible says that:

Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, "Everyone is looking for you."  And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out."  And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

            When we hear that Jesus went throughout all Galilee with the message and works that turned sighing into singing we say:  of course.  But when Mark’s readers heard it—they thought:  “Galilee of the Gentiles?!  Why would Jesus waste his time there—among those people?  They don’t deserve his salvation!”  And of course-- they didn’t.  But then neither does anyone else.  But Jesus wants to give it.  That is why he came:  to give all people songs for sighing.

            That salvation comes to us just as it did in Galilee—through Jesus’ powerful Good News that promises healing and restoration and freedom from the curse of evil and all its effects on our lives. 

And so with the same concern for the world of broken people around us that Jesus showed that day in Capernaum we take the Good News with us as we go into this new week—into our schools and work and circle of friends—confident that his Word still has the power to heal and set free.  Amen.