PUT OUT YOUR HAND!

I love it when I’m reading God’s Word devotionally and something “catches my attention.” It may be a phrase, it may be a single word or a complete sentence, but it’s like a caveat, a warning sign that says, “Don’t rush by this too fast—take a moment and listen.” I have learned that this is the Holy Spirit telling me to slow down and see what God’s Word has for me. There’s something here for me! I’ve learned to stop and let the living Word come alive in me.

A few mornings ago I was reading in Mark, chapter one, as a part of my daily reading. As far as is known, the first spoken words of Jesus’ public ministry are in this chapter, specifically in verse 15. The story continues with Jesus calling the first four of the disciples.

In verse 29, Jesus went with the four “newbies” to the home of Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew. Peter’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever (1:30). As soon as Jesus was told about this, He went to her and—now watch this carefully—“he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them” (1:31 NIV).

This was not your typical healing service. There was no laying on of hands, no anointing with oil, no praying in Jesus’ Name; in fact, there is no mention of healing in these verses either in the English or in the original language. Healing is all over the rest of this brief story (see verse 33 and 34) but it is not mentioned here.

Lest anyone think that I am debasing healing, I am not. I believe in God’s healing power and I have seen it happen countless times. I have prayed for healing in people and watched the power of God transform them. I don’t believe God’s healing power ceased at the end of the Apostolic Age; I believe it is as available today as it has ever been.

So what did happen here? Was the woman healed or what? The answer is YES she was, but not in the typical way.

Some surveys indicate that 90 percent of visits to doctors’ offices stem from psychosomatic illnesses. Psychosomatic illness most commonly begins with stress or damaging thought patterns that lead to physical symptoms. When you are caught by this kind of illness, you often need someone to help you break out of the bondage so you can live in wholeness.

I believe what happened when Jesus went to Peter’s mother-in-law is told graphically by the few words of this story. “He took her hand and helped her up.” I believe that Jesus knew she was trapped by something—perhaps it was the stress of having Peter in her family. He wasn’t exactly the picture of maximized manhood at that point in his life. We don’t know the cause of her illness, but the result was that she was bedridden with a raging fever.

We will never know the cause of this fever this side of heaven, but what we clearly see is that Jesus took her by the hand and helped her up. Jesus helped her get up and out of “the cause” and back into wholeness. I don’t think we will ever understand how much healing we bring to others when we take someone who is down by the hand and help them up.

I am absolutely in love with this passage. It has opened up for me an understanding of how all of us can be in the healing ministry—and I do mean all of us. Every time you extend a hand to someone who is down, you are faithfully fulfilling the ministry of healing. Every time you take some of your time to pray with and share wisdom with a new believer or someone in need, you are extending the hand of healing.

May we always be His hand extended!

Let me finish this thought on healing by telling you something I don’t like. I don’t like it and never have liked it when someone says, “God wants to heal you so you can do great things for Him!” No, He doesn’t! You may do some great things for Him after you are healed, but that will not be the reason He heals you. He wants to heal you because He loves you, He cares about you, and He doesn’t want you to hurt! He wants to heal that hurt in you right now because of His love for you! Grace does not give in order to get! Grace gives because of love! He loves you just as He did Peter’s mother-in-law.

“He took her hand and helped her up!”