Matthew 8:15

Tuesday, 11 March 2025   So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them. Matthew 8:15   “And He touched her hand and it left her, the fever, and she arose and she ministered to them.” (CG).   In the previous verse it noted that Jesus saw Peter’s mother-in-law having been cast and fevering. Now, the words immediately turn to the response to this, saying, “And He touched her hand and it left her, the fever.”   The word puretos, inflamed, is introduced. In this case, it signifies being feverish. It is derived from pur, fire, and is akin to the verb puressó found in the previous verse. The fact that it says He touched her hand does not reflect a lack of faith on her part as some claim, thus contrasting this miracle to the last where He healed with just a word.   Rather, Jesus was going to go to the centurion’s servant and heal him there. However, at the request of the centurion, that didn’t take place. The touching of her hand shows attendant care for her while, at the same time, it demonstrates no timidity in having contact with the sick, just as with the healing of the leper in verse 3.   Jesus was able to touch the sick without becoming sick Himself. At the same time, He was able to cure another without ever having seen him or been near him. The contrasting accounts are intended to show us that no matter what situation arose, Jesus was fully capable of attending to it in a caring and complete way. That is seen in the next words, “and she arose and she ministered to them.”   There is a change in the tense from aorist to imperfect. She was healed and arose, but then she ministered and continued to minister to Jesus and those with Him. She had no ill effects, no lethargy, etc. She was healed completely and immediately got about tending to the guests.   Life application: The healing brought about by Jesus was always complete. In one instance, it came in stages though –   “Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. 24 And he looked up and said, ‘I see men like trees, walking.’ 25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, ‘Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.’” Mark 8:22-26   Jesus’ two-stage healing of this man served its own purpose. The final stage demonstrated that the healing, however, was complete. As for Peter’s mother-in-law, there is nothing later said about her. She may have gotten a fever again in her life or not. But the healing at this time was complete and that is what the narrative focuses on.   What Jesus does is never incomplete. The physical manifestations of healing by Him, and later by the apostles in His name, are no different than the spiritual healing that is provided by Jesus.   We are not just partially healed from sin where we need to then work to complete the task. Nor are we healed from sin in a manner that secures us from hell but which does not secure us for heaven. In other words, the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory.   Instead, we are saved (spiritually healed) and immediately seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, as recorded in Ephesians 2:6. If this were not the case, there would be no such doctrine as the rapture where believers are immediately converted from corruptible to incorruptible bodies as noted in 1 Corinthians 15. Regardless of how those verses are interpreted in relation to how the event takes place, the fact that there is an immediate change is indisputable.   When we are saved, it is a done deal. The healing is immediate, it is guaranteed, and it is eternal.   “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:4-10   Lord God, not only are we saved by grace and not by any works of our own, but Your word reveals to us that the spiritual change in us is immediate in its effect and eternal in its scope. Thank You that we don’t have to add to our salvation in order to complete or maintain it. You have done it all! Now, may we be obedient to produce good works in response to Your healing. Amen.