This lady is one of the many unnamed women of the Bible. We know little about her but what is revealed in Scripture is of great blessing to us. We know nothing of her parentage, place of birth, husband, or later life after her healing by Jesus. No doubt this encounter with Christ was the greatest moment of her life.
Her daughter had married the fisherman who was destined to become the famous apostle Peter. She appears to have lived in the home of Peter, where Andrew also resided. We would thus surmise that this lady was a widow whose son-in-law helped to maintain her, and the home was inherited by Peter and Andrew from their deceased father. That home was in the fishing town of Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
We know that this lady contracted a very serious illness, which was described as ‘a great fever’. The impression gained is that there seemed to be little hope and that she was beyond human help. Yet her family and friends did not want her to die and so they brought her needs to the Saviour’s attention. To pray for the sick is an important part of our responsibility as Christians, and reflects our loving concern for them.
The Lord responded positively to their entreaties and this lady felt the touch of the Saviour’s hand as He ‘lifted her up’; the illness heard the voice of the Saviour as He ‘rebuked the fever’. The Saviour’s touch is gentle and kind to those in need, and His voice is powerful and authoritative for immediately the fever left her and she was able to get up from her bed. Her health was restored and her strength regained – she had no need of convalescence for the Lord’s restorative work was total. The fever, possibly typhus, had completely left her.
Her immediate reaction was to minister to the Lord and to the others in the house. No doubt out of sincere and deep appreciation she prepared and served them a meal. Her instant desire on being healed was to serve and that demonstrated to everyone that she had been totally healed. Today when a person is ‘cured’, or healed of sin, a sure sign that salvation has truly been experienced is the desire to serve the Lord. We are saved to serve and this remarkable lady stands as a great reminder of that fact.
