Mark 1:29-31

Read

Mark 1:29-31

29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

Think:

I've never really liked this pericope.  I thought I would like it more when I became a deacon, because once a wise vocational deacon that I know shared this pericope with me in a moving way and I thought I would feel the same way about it as they did when I became a deacon as well.  But I don't... Maybe they had more time to spend with their call to serve when they came across this offering... this vocational deacon claimed that Simon's mother in law was in fact the first deacon of the church, that she was the first to serve at the table of the Lord- at least according to the Markian narrative.  Yes service is the role of a deacon and I find it incredibly beautiful and moving to think of Mrs Simon's wife's mother as a deacon in the church, but I don't find it valuable in my own understanding, I still find it troubling that Jesus healed her and she then went on to serve them.  What kind of a model is that for self care?  What kind of a model is that for ministry?

I find myself questioning what the role of a servant is and what the role of service is when I read this passage.  Is the servant's role to give up from his or herself?  Is the true act of service some thing that requires self sacrifice?   Do I have to completely give up my health in order to care for those for whom I am responsible? I don't think so, but this model of female ministry female service seems at first glance to propose this.

But the truth of the matter is- that Jesus didn't ask Mrs Simon's wife's mom to do this, but she did it out of thankfulness, she did it out of duty, she did it out of expectation.  Perhaps her service was not one of objectification, but of vocation.  Maybe I don't hate this passage as much as I originally thought, perhaps she served not because she had to  but because she wanted to ... and they aren't mutually exclusive.

Prayer:

Lord God - Help me to serve to the best of my ability not because I have to but because I want to.  In thanksgiving for all the blessings which you have bestowed upon me and those I love.  Help me to be like Simon's mother-in-law and be healed in order to minister to the needs of those who love and serve you.  Amen

Contemplation:

Today I spent 45 minutes meditating in an MRI machine-  I think that I might be the only person in the history of MRI's who actually enjoyed the quiet, drone, and the comfort that healing may be possible.