“As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.” Mark 1:29-39

“Peter’s mother-in-law is restored to her community and vocation. I realize we may be troubled by the fact that the moment she’s well she gets up to serve Jesus and his disciples. (I mean, goodness, couldn’t Peter have pitched in to give her a little more time to recuperate.) But as Sarah Henrich wrote so beautifully a few years ago:

“[I]llness bore a heavy social cost: not only would a person be unable to earn a living or contribute to the well-being of a household, but their ability to take their proper role in the community, to be honored as a valuable member of a household, town, or village, would be taken from them. Peter’s mother-in-law is an excellent case in point. It was her calling and her honor to show hospitality to guests in her home. Cut off from that role by an illness cut her off from doing that which integrated her into her world. Who was she when no longer able to engage in her calling? Jesus restored her to her social world and brought her back to a life of value by freeing her from that fever. It is very important to see that healing is about restoration to community and restoration of a calling, a role as well as restoration to life. For life without community and calling is bleak indeed.”

Which makes me wonder. What did the man from whom the unclean spirit was cast out a week ago do after his healing? What did all the people Jesus heals in this week’s story do once they are freed from the various ailments of mind, body, and spirit that had captivated them? Some, I imagine, were simply so grateful to be made well – so grateful, that is, that they had been freed from something debilitating or destructive – that they returned as quickly as possible to their old lives and routines and relationships. But some, I’m willing to bet, including Simon’s mother-in-law, recognize that they weren’t only freed from something, they were also freed for something, for lives of purpose and meaning and service and generosity and more.”  (David Lose, Freedom For, …in the meantime website, February 3, 2015)

There was good reason for Jesus to go back the next day as the disciples begged him to do, but Jesus knew his limitations in this world.  And besides, there was more to do – other places to go – he couldn’t do it all yet – there were many lessons to teach, “real change” to advocate.  Oh, and then there was the cross, where he would do it all for us.  I think many of us would want to be able to do anything for anyone, and yet we need our Sabbath time as well.  We need to know our limitations.  We need to take time out – put ourselves in self-induced time out, for prayer, for rest, for recovery.  We are not G-d, we are not Jesus Christ, we are mortal, and as such we have limitations – and of course, we are sinful and unclean.  And if we delude ourselves into thinking that we can do it all, know it all, and are above it all, even sin, then we run the risk of a great fall.

Let me leave you with these words from Hannah Smith who wrote in her book “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life”:

Years ago I came across this sentence in an old book:  “Never indulge, at the close of any action, in any self-reflective acts of any kind, whether self-congratulation or of self despair…”  When the temptation comes…to indulge in these reflections…I turn from them at once and positively refuse to think about my work at all, leaving it with the Lord… to bless it as He chooses.

When we know our limitations, when we recognize our gifts as gifts from God, not our own doing, and take time for recovery and prayer, then we will know, O’ mortals, what the Lord requires:  To do justice, to love kindness, and to do it with humility.  It may help us all stay on that straight and narrow path, pressing forward, pressing on for our greatest reward, found in the cross of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Dave

“On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight. There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting. A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead. But Paul went down, and bending over him took him in his arms, and said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” Then Paul went upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them until dawn; then he left. Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive and were not a little comforted.” Acts 20:7-12

{One rainy morning, my mother went for her daily run. As she returned to the house, she slipped and fell, hitting her head on the driveway. I called the paramedics. When they arrived, they asked my mom some questions to determine her coherency. “What is today?” inquired one man. Without hesitation, Mom replied, “Trash day.”}

Neither Eutychus, not the woman from our “story” are having a good day. I have spent 35 years of my life jogging to try to maintain some kind of cardio conditioning. And while jogging, I have fallen, tripped, slipped and experienced various injuries along the way. I have slipped on railroad tracks and cut my hand; I have slipped off curbs and ripped up my knees; I have almost been hit by trucks, school busses – and one Christmas Day was almost run over by a car. Thank the Lord I never hit my head when I fell. However, during a three week period over the Christmas season, we had three members of my congregation fall when they slipped on ice or snow – two hit their heads and lost consciousness – the other twisted a knee.

Eutychus fell and not only hit his head – he died instantly. It seemed initially that Eutychus’ luck had run out. But, just because Paul was long-winded and unrelenting, didn’t mean he couldn’t resolve to do something. And so, the first thing Paul does is he stops preaching; he finally stops preaching. Not that we want to get overly dramatic here, and conclude that nothing short of a disaster can interrupt Paul when he gets going, but I do notice that the first thing Paul does is to stop preaching.  Not too long ago I attended a wedding where one of the bridesmaids passed out during the pastor’s sermon. The pastor stopped for five seconds – FIVE SECONDS – long enough to make sure the woman was still breathing, and then he continued preaching. He did not stop to help her – two of us from the church went and made sure she was ok, had some water and a place to sit down. At least Paul stopped preaching. But that is not all he did – he healed the man – not just healed him but brought him back to life – restores his life and restores him to community.  Jesus is the one who restores us all to life – life in our community of believers – and ultimately life in community. As members of these communities, we too must be active in restoring life – restoring the marginalized to community, and breathing life into our own faith. And just like Paul, we need to find ways to throw ourselves onto and into the problems of community – sustained by the Holy Spirit – to bring new life into the church continually.

Pastor Dave