Jesus healed many who had various diseases, and drove out many demons; but he did not let them speak, for they knew who he was.
Very early in the morning, before daylight, Jesus went off to a lonely place where he prayed. Simon and the others went out also, searching for him; and when
they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Let us go to the nearby villages so that I may preach there too; for that is why I
came.” So Jesus set out to preach in all the synagogues throughout Galilee; he also cast out demons.
Lectio Devina:
READ: Jesus went to the house of Simon and Andrew after successfully preaching
in the nearby synagogue. Seeing that Simon’s mother-in-law is sick He healed her
and she waited on them. Many people came to seek healing. It was a long busy
night for the Lord. But early morning He rose to pray. But people were looking
for Him that early so decided to go to the neighboring towns and villages so that
He may preach there and heal the sick and cast out demons.
REFLECT: After a hard day’s work, Jesus goes to the house of Simon and
Andrew, His disciples. He is not only close to them. Jesus also wants to know
about their family. Many prominent members of the community must have
extended invitation to Him. After all, the presence of a holy man in their home
would give them prestige. Yet to none of them did Jesus go, He enters the house
of His disciples. There He performed a miracle of healing on Simon’s mother-inlaw
to show that He cares deeply for them as much as He does to the poor and
lost multitude of Israel. This is something that we have to ponder about. We
sometimes lose ourselves in the service of others, but the ones closest to us do
not receive one tiny bit of our help. We forget about them casting our efforts far
and wide. We are like sprinklers where the grasses far from us are green while
those near us wither and die. Jesus cares for those close to Him as well as those
who are in the crowd. This sensitivity serves Him well later on as His disciples
clung to Him until the very end of their lives.
RESPOND: This is the day when we need to take stock of our relationship with
those close to us. Do we give them time and attention or are we too busy with
the concerns from afar that those near to us suffer.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2021