Sunday 02/04/24 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “Peter Loved His Mother-In-Law!”
Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Gospel Lesson: Mark 1:29-39
For
as long as I can remember, there have been mother-in-law jokes. In fact, I have
seen far more mother-in-law jokes, than I have seen father-in-law jokes. The
general theme of the mother-in-law jokes are that mother-in-laws are controlling,
pushy, demanding, and always right. I can say however, for myself that I have a
great mother-in-law named Carol. I am not just saying this because Carol and my
father-in-law Kevin are watching this service right now, but because I actually
really love and appreciate them both. Hi Kevin and Carol!
Some people I have talked to though,
don’t or didn’t like their mother-in-laws. I’m sure though that this is not the
case for anyone here this morning, or for anyone who is watching our service online!
I’m sure you all love or loved your mother-in-law!
Some of us have maybe also never had a mother-in-law. I say all of this,
because this morning we have a gospel reading from Mark 1:29-39, once again,
which talks about the Apostle Peter’s sick mother-in-law. In fact, the first
part of our gospel lesson from Mark 1:29-31 for this morning, says in 1:29-31,
once again:
29 As
soon as they
left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with
James and John. 30 Now
Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at
once. 31 He
came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and
she began to serve them (Mk. 1:29-31,
NRSV).
Now did Simon or Peter tell Jesus his
mother-in-law was sick? Yes, the scripture says, “they told him about her at
once”. Did Simon or Peter know that his mother was sick before they all
entered the house with Jesus? I would think so, as they told Jesus she was
sick, but maybe, Peter, Andrew, James, and John found this news out upon
entering Simon or Peter’s and Andrew’s house. I’m thinking that Peter and maybe
the other three disciples probably knew this before they entered the house with
Jesus, but who knows. Further, Peter, Andrew, James, and John told Jesus about
Peter’s sick mother-in-law, meaning they wanted Jesus to heal her. I’m sure for
everyone here this morning, and for everyone watching online you would do the
same thing for your dear mother-in-law, if you have or had one.
Further, was Peter’s mother-in-law sick
to point of maybe dying? We don’t know for sure, but she was sick in bed, and it
would seem that it was fairly serious. Why did they go to Peter’s house just
then after Jesus healed the man with the unclean spirit in Mark 1? It could
have been to rest, to eat, or both. Perhaps they were going to spend some of
the Sabbath together. Yet, I believe that Jesus knew that Peter’s mother-in-law
was in bed with a fever, and I think that Peter, Andrew, James, and John knew
it too. This might be the very reason that they all went with Jesus to Peter
and Andrew’s house. In doing a little research on Jesus’ healing Peter’s
mother-in-law, I found this:
In the Talmud, fever is described as a fire. The
original Greek implies that she was seriously ill.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healing_the_mother_of_Peter%27s_wife).
So, the Talmud, a central Jewish religious text says a
fever is like a fire, and the original Greek translation of Mark’s gospel, which
is the original language of the Christian New Testament, says that Peter’s
mother-in-law was very sick. Did Simon or Peter know that she was really sick,
once again? We have no idea, but I think Jesus, and Peter, Andrew,
James, and John knew. There are also theories about the name of Peter’s
wife or Peter’s mother-in-law, but nothing in scripture. I am impressed for
example that some claim to know the names of the three wise men that visited
Christ with gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. How did they get the names
of these wisemen? Did they have a guest sign-in book? I have no idea, as some
of these names were gathered from the tradition of the Christian Church, but are
not in the scripture of the church.
So, I am
thinking, once again, that Peter, Andrew,
James, and John knew that Peter’s mother-in-law was sick before they went to
Peter and Andrew’s house with Jesus, but even so, they asked Jesus to heal her.
The reason I can make this a funny sermon once again then, is to ask the
question, would all people tell Jesus that their mother-in-law was sick? Would
you if you had or have a mother-in-law? I would hope that we all would, but there
has been a long-time running set of jokes, once again, about the nagging
mother-in-law.
Given all of
this, I believe as my sermon title for this morning says, “Peter Loved His
Mother-In-Law!” Or he at least liked her enough to ask Jesus to heal her!
Further, since the Roman Catholic Church considers the Apostle Peter to be the
first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, I was interested about this, as Peter
was married. According to church tradition, the Apostle Peter was crucified
upside down in Rome sometime between 64 AD – 68 AD. So as the First Bishop of
Rome, or the first Roman Catholic Pope, Peter was then in that role from about
30 AD to 64 AD – 68 AD. This would make him the longest reigning Bishop of Rome
or Pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, and he was married. So, I
then thought that the first Pope was married? Catholic priests can’t get
married though. Well, some scholars claim that Peter’s wife died before he became
the Bishop of Rome or the Pope. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Peter). So
that is something that will probably be continually debated.
After Jesus
heals Peter’s mother-in-law, the gospel continues, starting in Mark 1:32
saying:
32 That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And 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. 35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ 38 He 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.’ 39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons (Mark 1:32-39, NRSV).
So, once again, I believe that “Peter
Loved His Mother-In-Law,” or at least liked her a lot! Maybe Peter liked short
visits with his mother-in-law to, because by the same evening of the day that
his mother-in-law was healed, the group was back out with Jesus, loving,
healing, forgiving, and spreading the gospel. Jesus healed many, and casted out
demons. The next morning, Jesus goes off to pray by himself, and the disciples
are looking or “hunting” for him as the gospel says.
I wore a t-shirt in church as part of
sermon last summer. The t-shirt says “Jesus took naps. Be like Jesus”. In this
case, Jesus didn’t take a nap, but he left to pray to have to some alone with God
the Father. This is a good model for us all around self-care and growing in our
faith.
When the disciples found Jesus and
told him that everyone was looking for him, Jesus told them that he wanted to
go to neighboring towns to proclaim his gospel, the good news. Jesus and his
disciples then went and proclaimed the message, the gospel, the good news, throughout
Galilee, in the synagogues, and he continued casting out demons.
While Jesus took time away to rest and
to pray, his three-year public ministry from his baptism at age 30, to his
crucifixion and age 33 was a packed three years. Jesus and his disciples were
always on the go somewhere preaching, loving, healing, and forgiving! This
reminds me of our Psalm 147:1-11, 20c scripture for this morning. This
scripture, once again, begins and ends with saying “Praise the Lord!” (Ps.
147:1-11, 20c). This scripture praises God in various ways, as Jesus’s gospel,
the good news, was and is about the Kingdom of God coming to earth. The Kingdom
of God broke through further when Jesus came, and when he returns one day, the
Kingdom of God will be completely present and at hand. When Christ returns all,
will be at peace, suffering will end, war will end, and mercy and grace will flow
abundantly.
I love how the Apostle Paul says it in
our reading for this morning from 1 Corinthians 9:16-23. Starting in from 1
Corinthians 9:16 it says:
16 If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe betide me if I do not proclaim the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel (1 Cor. 9:16-17, NRSV).
Jesus, his gospel, and his love, are
free for the taking. This morning Peter and three other of the disciples asked
Jesus to heal Peter’s mother-in-law. There was no charge for this healing, as
Jesus and gospel, as Paul said, are free of charge.
The Apostle Paul then continues and
finishes our 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 reading, saying in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23,
this once again:
19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings (1 Cor. 9:19-23, NRSV).
The Apostle Paul was in the world, and
was engaged with all manner of people, so that he might win some to Christ. He
did what did so that some might be saved, and so that lives would be
transformed. I love the various things I am part of, whether it be the Sidney
Fire Department, the Tri-Town Nursery School Board, etc., but I pray that in
these various places that God uses me to be a light. I have become all this to
all people, so that I might by any means save some.
This same Jesus
that the Apostle Paul spent years teaching people about and winning souls to,
is the same Jesus Christ that healed Peter’s mother-in-law this morning. As my
sermon title says, “Peter Love His Mother-In-Law!” Well, if he didn’t love his mother-in-law,
then he liked her enough to ask the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords to lay
his hands on her and heal her! I wonder what it was like for Peter to see the
savior of the world grab his mother-in-law’s hand, lift her up and heal her?
Maybe just maybe then, this might make us challenge the stereo-type of mothers-in-law,
as Jesus Christ was asked by his disciple Peter to heal his mother-in-law. For “Peter
Loved His Mother-In-Law!” Amen.
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