Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 4, 38-44
After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,
and they interceded with him about her.
He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
She got up immediately and waited on them.
At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him.
He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.”
But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak
because they knew that he was the Christ.
At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.
The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,
they tried to prevent him from leaving them.
But he said to them, “To the other towns also
I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,
because for this purpose I have been sent.”
And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Rebuked the fever
1. Fever. Sometimes in life, you get an existential fever, where you’re constantly annoyed and can’t tolerate anything. This often comes from exhaustion and a fast-paced life where you’re doing things not because you want to, but because you feel like you have to so as to avoid looking bad. That’s when anger starts to build, and your daily schedule feels imposed by others, not by yourself. When this happens, your anger flares up, and on top of that, you start to see life in a distorted way.
2. He rebuked. Correction is a part of life. I once heard the phrase, “Children explain, and parents guide.” Because someone who truly loves corrects early on, desiring the other’s well-being. Honoring a person also means correcting them. You and I were likely raised in a culture of “it’s not possible at the moment” and “there isn’t any.” Much of that has changed today. Some parents even go deeply into debt to give their children everything and avoid saying “it’s not possible”. In life, we learn that you can’t always get everything you want, but you can live without everything you want. In Proverbs 29, 15 we read, “The rod of correction gives wisdom, but uncontrolled youths disgrace their mothers”
3. To retain. We often want to hold onto people, even making them feel like our possessions. Jesus is clear on this; everyone has their own life and mission. No one can hold onto another. We have to learn to give in in order to respect what’s important to the other person. And holding onto someone just because they make you feel good, without their consent, can be a product of selfishness rather than love. Today, ask Jesus to teach you to free rather than retain, to let go rather than grasp, to give in rather than overwhelm, and to love rather than control.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
