Bouncing Back

What would you do if you were feeling ill and suddenly your son comes home with some friends?

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. Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them. 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. Demons 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. 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. But 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." So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea. - Luke 4:38-44

Several commentaries I have read interpret this story figuratively, with Simon Peter representing the law and his mother-in-law the Church which is consumed with the fire or fever of zeal and hatred.

I don't know about that.  I prefer to look at the people in the story as they were, and imagine what the scene was like for them.

Luke may have included the story for symbolic reasons, letting us know that Simon was married and that Jesus chose to bring his mother-in-law back to health.

What about her?

What was going through her mind when these men entered Simon's house and she couldn't get up to serve them?

It is said that she served Jesus because he cured her and she was grateful, but wouldn't she have served them all anyway?

It was what people did when someone came to their home, and it appears she was living with Simon in his home, so it was her home as well.

Once she was able to get up, she did so.  There is a lesson for us in that.  We should bounce back from anything that pulls us down and keeps us from our joy.

Hopefully our joy is our work, as it clearly was for her.

So, let us pray for health so we may partake in our joy and bring joy to others in the process.

More to come...