Mark 1:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.

NIV: Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her.

NASB: Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and they immediately *spoke to Jesus about her.

CSB: Simon's mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once.

NLT: Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away.

KJV: But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.

NKJV: But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.

As Simon Peter returns home with his brother Andrew, Jesus, James and John, he learns that his mother-in-law is sick with a fever. The word translated "fever" here is from, the Greek puresso. In this era, people didn't see a fever as a symptom of a disease; they thought of the fever as the disease itself. At this point, Jesus' powers have proved He can exorcise a demon (Mark 1:23–26) and find a lot of fish (Luke 5:4–7). Somehow, however, He has engendered Simon Peter's trust, and immediately, Simon Peter tells Jesus about his wife's mother.

It's often complicated to discuss Jesus' power to heal. It is not always in God's plan to physically heal people, but, like Simon Peter, we should always be willing to ask. Hebrews 4:16 says we can "with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." The impulsive Simon Peter, who around this same time told Jesus to leave because he feels unworthy (Luke 5:8), now approaches Jesus for help. It's not clear if Peter even thinks Jesus can heal her, but he has to ask. We should have the same trusting boldness when approaching God.

Mark 1:21–45 opens a longer section describing the healing and preaching ministry of Jesus Christ. In this segment, Jesus impresses onlookers with His mastery of the Scriptures. He also amazes people with His authoritative style. During this teaching, Jesus heals a man afflicted with demonic possession. The resulting publicity brings a massive crowd to the home of Simon Peter, where Jesus is staying. Jesus heals Peters' mother-in-law of a fever, and cures a leper, before leaving the region to continue His ministry.

John the Baptist is introduced as a figure preparing the world for the arrival of the Messiah. John's baptism teaches people about their need for repentance. When Jesus arrives, and is baptized, it signals the coming of God's fulfillment and the need of people to recognize their Savior. Mark briefly notes Jesus' baptism, desert temptation, and the calling of the first four disciples. After this, Jesus begins teaching in the synagogue and performs miraculous healings which spread His fame around the region.

The first chapter of the Gospel of Mark sets the tone for the rest of the story. Mark's writing is concise, action-packed, and short on details. Within a few verses, Mark establishes the transition from the wilderness ministry of John the Baptist to the healing and preaching of Jesus Christ. This first chapter includes the calling of Jesus' earliest disciples, His early miracles, and His early teaching. This establishes the pattern shown throughout the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus mingles His teaching with miraculous signs.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.