What Did Peter Expect from His Mother-in-Law?

Scripture: Luke 4:39 – “Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.” (NRSVue)

There is a story in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke about Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever. Traditionally, this story has been important because it is an example of Jesus’ healing power. It proves to the new disciples that Jesus can heal the sick just with a word. And some had said that this is a sign of Jesus’ blessing of marriage. However, one thing that has caught the attention of many readers today is that Peter’s mother-in-law (who is not named, by the way) immediately goes to serve the men after she is healed. Some rather ungenerously imagine Peter saying something like, “Are you finally out of bed, woman? Good. Go make me a sandwich.”

Why did Peter’s mother-in-law begin to serve them so quickly after she was healed? Was it because it was something women were supposed to if they possibly could? Was the great evil of the fever that she couldn’t fulfill her servile duties?

I suppose that is one way of looking at it. Another way is that the woman chose to serve Jesus and Peter and the other disciples. It was her way of saying thank you to Jesus, something that some of those healed by Jesus forgot to do. To her, service was not an expectation, but a gift.

How many of the things that we do for our families and friends are because of expectations? Mothers are supposed to do that for their children. Husbands are supposed to do that for their wives. And when these things do feel like obligations, they can suck the joy and love right out of them. Expectations often lead to resentment.

But loving and caring for people can also be a gift. It can be a sign of gratitude or unrequited love. Jesus’ acts of healing and salvation were gifts, not obligations. When we emulate Jesus, we become generous in giving our gifts of time, energy, and love.

And if we receive acts of service as gifts rather than as expectations, it is easier to see other people as subjects showing us love rather than as objects fulfilling our needs.

So, what do you think Peter saw in his mother-in-law? An obligation of service or a surprising gesture of thanksgiving? And what do you expect from the people around you? Is there anything you might need to remember?

Prayer: Jesus, our Friend and Savior, help me to receive your gifts graciously and express my thanksgiving through loving and serving others. Amen.