Wait on him

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

WAIT ON HIM

Matt 8:14-17

14 When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. 16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."  

NIV

Was Jesus going about to fulfill what the prophets had said about him, or was he just doing what he was doing and it so happened the prophets had spoken about the things he would do? It is sort of who came first, the chicken or the egg. Nevertheless our lesson is not regarding that matter, but it is in the mother-in-law of Peter. Yes, we have another example of Jesus simply healing a person by touch. Yes, we have Jesus healing many, all who came to Peters house as well as driving out demons with just a word. He did not carry on a conversation with them, he simply spoke a word and they obeyed his command and left the people they had been possessing. Which could bring us to the fact that evil spirits do possess people. If that happened in the time of Christ, it happens today. There may be times we encounter people who are possessed by an evil spirit. We may well meet people who have an evil continence, which is driven by the spirit within. We should not take these encounters lightly, and tread carefully. This is why God has bestowed upon us his armor. We have the authority of Christ to do that which he did, simply command the spirit to leave. But we need to know that is whom we are speaking to, rather than just an evil person. This is where we need to deploy or engage that gift of discernment God has also given to us. Yet let us continue with our peering into this mother-in-law of Peter. She was sick, she had a fever and was lying in bed, useless, unable to do that which she is used to doing. As soon as Jesus healed her, she got up and began to wait on him. The Greek word is actually the base word to minister, dieekónei,  it is where we get the English word deacon. It is used in a wide application, to wait on tables, to provide that which is needed to sustain life. It is also used as one who ministers to the sick and needy, a deacon. We would surmise it meant she got up and served Jesus and the others food and drink. That she served as the hostess of the house, in the manner she was accustomed. She served Jesus. Here we are sick with the fever, which would be sinners condemning ourselves to death because of our sin. Jesus comes along and offers to touch us and heal our deadly disease of sin. Once touched by him we rise from our death bed and immediately begin to wait on him, serve him, minister to and for him. It would seem Peter’s mother-in-law had no special skills or talents which could be used for a specific purpose. She wasn’t even the woman of the house, who either did all the cleaning, cooking and laundry, as that would have been Peter’s wife’s role. Yet being the senior woman of the house it may well have been her role or she oversaw those duties of any servants if Peter had any in his employ. In either case, she served Jesus with the ability she had. This is our story, we have been raised from our death bed and we need to serve Jesus with whatever we know how to do. It may be the case that Jesus gives us some new talent, or ability when he calls us to a particular task. But the fact still remains that we have been healed and we need to get up and serve him. This is not serving ourselves, but serving the needs of Jesus. So then we ask, what are his needs? In the case of Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus had need of food and drink for he was in the physical. For us, he is in the spiritual and thus his needs are that we do his will, that we accomplish his plan for our lives. This includes living a life pleasing to him, which we would have to read the whole bible to discern all of that which we should be living like. But also serving him means we are doing something for the kingdom of heaven. We are doing our part as the body of Christ. That implies more than just attending church on Sunday morning, being one of the congregants. That implies that we are doing something to enhance the kingdom, we are actively engaged in some ministry. This is not a church program, but rather a serving Jesus moment. This can be done where we live, in our community, where we work, where we play, as well as where we pray. This is doing that which we are used to doing. It may not be some special training we have to obtain. It may not be a special degree or certificate that we need. It simply is what we are used to doing and getting on to do it as a service to Jesus. This is not to say he does not gift us with special gifts of the Spirit. For surely that has happened many times to many believers. But again it is due to being touched by Jesus through the Spirit so that we might rise up and immediately wait on him.