Healing

Today's Gospel reading shows Jesus's true healing power, which was not only spiritual, but also physical. However, Jesus's true mission is spiritual, and yet he hears the cries  of need by the people in Capernaum, and he is not able to simply ignore them. Another factor that adds to this dilemma is the fact that Jesus is becoming very popular, very quickly, so people are coming from everywhere for his help.

It seems as though, after Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law, the whole village rushed to flood Jesus with numerous requests of their own. Even though he knows that this is not his true purpose, he still chooses to heal each and every one of them. People were continuing to focus on Jesus's amazing deeds, rather than his words, which are as important, if not more important than his actions.

In the remainder of the Gospel, Jesus will continue to be requested to perform his miracles on people, and he will do it with compassion. He will do it when no one is looking, like with Simon's mother in law, and he will do it when every one is watching. He will not rest when there is someone in need of his help. Most importantly, he will do it simply with basic, true methods, avoiding magic and occult, which can even be seen today in famous examples of exorcism. Jesus does not need magic or occult to assist him in helping others, and neither do we. 

Much like Jesus, we must learn to help other in their time of need. We must also learn that we must help others even when no one is around to notice or congratulate us. We are not helping others for the right reasons if we are merely doing it for the popularity or recognition.

Another way of looking at Simon's request is that he, and the rest of the disciples, were finally starting to trust Jesus with their problems, their lives. However, on the other hand, we must not always ask for material possessions or help in our prayers, for then we are just like the crowds, who used Jesus. We must pray and remember God not only in our times of need, but all the time.

-Luke