Faith Daily | 1 September 2021

PRAYER of the DAY - PENTECOST APBA p576

Lord of all power and might,

the author and giver of good things:

create in our hearts the love of your name,

increase in us true religion,

nourish us with all goodness,

and of your great mercy keep us in the same;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Luke 4: 38-44

38 After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. 39Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.

40 As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them. 41Demons also came out of many, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.*

42 At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. 43But he said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.’ 44So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by: Kay Murry

In yesterday's story, in verses 31-37, Jesus astounded everyone far and wide by dealing with such authority with the demon at the Synagogue (and on the Sabbath, too...!)

Now in today's verses, we go from the noisy, exclaiming crowd at the Synagogue to the relative quiet of Simon Peter's mother-in-law's house. But there is still a problem here - her fever, which Jesus cures by 'rebuking' the fever, which 'left immediately'. The parallel to the rebuking of the demon in the Synagogue stands out, doesn't it? - the difference between sickness and possession by evil wasn't a clear distinction back then.

We see in verse 40 that there were crowds who were 'sick with various kinds of disease' that they of course hoped Jesus would cure too, since the word about him had been spreading all day. But it is still the Sabbath day, and they waited till the sun was setting to come to him, just in case - after all, rules were rules, and one was - no work on the Sabbath. Walking, (and maybe carrying your sick loved one), counted as work! After sunset was OK, because that's when the day officially ended for the Jews. (And we Christians have been happy to adopt the idea sometimes if it suits us to have the 'Sunday Eucharist' on Saturday evening...)

Simon Peter has this demonstration, in his own domestic space, of Jesus' power and authority. And at the beginning of Chapter 9 he was one of those twelve apostles Jesus sent out 'with power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases and to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal.' So it doesn't seem so surprising to me that in Luke 9: 20, in answer to Jesus' question 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answers 'The Messiah of God.'

FINAL PRAYER: – For the Sick - (From a prayer by Bruce D. Prewer) [Kay Murry]

Today, Divine Healer,

we pray for all the sick and fearful

people around us in the community:

...

Be with each today,

strengthen each today,

please, God. Amen.