Our paragraph topic today is: (Peter's mother-in-law).
We now get into the miracles that Christ worked during his ministry. He arrives at Peter's house and finds that Peter's wife's mother is sick with a fever. Matthew tells us that Peter's mother-in- law is ill. She is lying in bed due to a serious fever. They more than likely have tried all the local remedies, aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen, etc. with no results. Christ comes in, notices her illness, touches her hand and instantly she is healed of the fever. She is so refreshed that she gets up and begins to help with the service by waiting on them.
Matthew tells us this story of Peter's mother-in-law at the end of the discussion on faith. He gives us another demonstration of the power of Christ. Christ healed long distance with the centurion. He healed by a touch with the leper. And he healed again through a touch of the hand. I wonder what it must have felt like to have Christ touch you. Was there a shock that went though the whole body? Was there a tingling sensation that gave one an indication that something was going on? Could one feel the difference taking place as the healing began? What did it feel like to go from a state of feeling bad to a state of feeling OK?
One does not, naturally, go from a state of having a fever to a state of not having a fever. There is a transition process that takes place. The fever subsides; the pain gradually goes away; the pounding headache gradually has less pressure on the brain. And finally one comes to a point where things are back to normal. Even at this stage it generally takes some time for one to realize the change and then to venture to be normal again. The leper went from affliction to being healed, immediately, it says. The centurion's servant was seriously afflicted and within the hour was cured. Peter's mother-in-law was lying with a fever, and she got up and was normal again. These are miracle transformations that took place. Matthew does not speak of the faith of Peter's mother-in-law but the leper had faith and the centurion had great faith. If faith was the determining factor to their healing, then faith can be the one factor today that leads to our healing.
Many may say that the miracles took place because they were performed by Christ. Yet throughout history one can find miracles taking place through the hands of others that have prayed to God. I would venture to say that because of their great faith that the miracles took place. Because of the strong belief in the healing power of Christ, these miracles were performed. Could our belief be the fuel needed to bring about miracles? Could our faith be the conduit through which Christ transfers his healing power?
If these two factors are the reason and the cause of miracles being performed, why are there not more miracles today? Why can we not do miracles, as believers in Christ? Is this impossible for us? Matthew gives us this example at this point in his gospel for a reason. Christ has just finished performing three miracles for us to read about, all following a similar pattern. Let us hold this idea as a hypothesis and see if it holds true with the rest of the gospel by Matthew. Let us read with the question in our minds, is great faith the key to receiving God's power of healing? Does a strong belief give us the foundation to have miracles performed in our lives? We will see.
We now get into the miracles that Christ worked during his ministry. He arrives at Peter's house and finds that Peter's wife's mother is sick with a fever. Matthew tells us that Peter's mother-in- law is ill. She is lying in bed due to a serious fever. They more than likely have tried all the local remedies, aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen, etc. with no results. Christ comes in, notices her illness, touches her hand and instantly she is healed of the fever. She is so refreshed that she gets up and begins to help with the service by waiting on them.
Matthew tells us this story of Peter's mother-in-law at the end of the discussion on faith. He gives us another demonstration of the power of Christ. Christ healed long distance with the centurion. He healed by a touch with the leper. And he healed again through a touch of the hand. I wonder what it must have felt like to have Christ touch you. Was there a shock that went though the whole body? Was there a tingling sensation that gave one an indication that something was going on? Could one feel the difference taking place as the healing began? What did it feel like to go from a state of feeling bad to a state of feeling OK?
One does not, naturally, go from a state of having a fever to a state of not having a fever. There is a transition process that takes place. The fever subsides; the pain gradually goes away; the pounding headache gradually has less pressure on the brain. And finally one comes to a point where things are back to normal. Even at this stage it generally takes some time for one to realize the change and then to venture to be normal again. The leper went from affliction to being healed, immediately, it says. The centurion's servant was seriously afflicted and within the hour was cured. Peter's mother-in-law was lying with a fever, and she got up and was normal again. These are miracle transformations that took place. Matthew does not speak of the faith of Peter's mother-in-law but the leper had faith and the centurion had great faith. If faith was the determining factor to their healing, then faith can be the one factor today that leads to our healing.
Many may say that the miracles took place because they were performed by Christ. Yet throughout history one can find miracles taking place through the hands of others that have prayed to God. I would venture to say that because of their great faith that the miracles took place. Because of the strong belief in the healing power of Christ, these miracles were performed. Could our belief be the fuel needed to bring about miracles? Could our faith be the conduit through which Christ transfers his healing power?
If these two factors are the reason and the cause of miracles being performed, why are there not more miracles today? Why can we not do miracles, as believers in Christ? Is this impossible for us? Matthew gives us this example at this point in his gospel for a reason. Christ has just finished performing three miracles for us to read about, all following a similar pattern. Let us hold this idea as a hypothesis and see if it holds true with the rest of the gospel by Matthew. Let us read with the question in our minds, is great faith the key to receiving God's power of healing? Does a strong belief give us the foundation to have miracles performed in our lives? We will see.
