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A sermon on Mark 1:29-39

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Fr. Mike Paraniuk

By Fr. Mike Paraniuk
St. Mary Catholic Church
St. Benignus Catholic Church 
St. Mary Queen of Heaven
and Holy Trinity Catholic Church

The very first healing that Jesus performed was a family affair. Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law. 

Mothers-in-law have been the butt of jokes for centuries. Take this one for example: "My mother-in-law suffers from diabetes and hay fever. I always try to cheer her up with chocolate and flowers." 

Simon must have loved his mother-in-law very much. When his mother-in-law lay sick with fever, Simon immediately told Jesus about her with the hope of healing her. The way that Jesus healed her is very simple and undramatic. All Jesus did was grab her by the hand and raise her up from bed. A man "swiffing" his wood floors has more excitement than this. But if you look closer, you will find some powerful things Jesus did in this healing. 

First, the very first non-demonic healing Jesus did was with a woman. Women were considered second class in a male-dominated society when Jesus lived. They were regarded only slightly above children, Samaritans, shepherds, the divorced, prostitutes, tax collectors and lepers. All of these had very little to no standing in the Jewish society. (A Jewish woman who cooked a great matzo ball soup might be given more importance.) 

By this healing, Jesus is proclaiming everyone is important to God. God doesn't care about your money, or your looks, or whether you can lead a team to the Super Bowl. God believes all His children deserve the very best. 

Jesus said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Mt. 10:29-31.) 

Don't be afraid to approach God even though you have failed Him many times. God wants your faith, not your successes.

Second, the way Jesus "grasped her hand" is revealing. Jesus didn't grasp her hand gently like when a male suitor gently holds a woman's hand to kiss it. Mark uses the word "egeiren," which describes a "forceful grip" like when a cat grabs your arm to keep from going into the bath water. (Been there. Done that). 

Jesus held her hand tightly as if to say, "Don't worry. I got you. I'm not letting go." Jesus does more than gently lift her up. He thrusts her out of bed using the strength of His hand holding hers. Jesus is saying to her, "Get up! You're not sick anymore." 

When I preached at my Black Catholic Communion Church the worshipers would declare, "When God heals you, you KNOW you're healed!" Then they would all shout, "Amen." Be sure to hold onto God's hand when life tries to sink you. Don't let go.

Third, when the mother-in-law was healed, what's the first thing she did? The Bible says, "she waited on them."

She served the needs of those who were hungry.  There are so many who hunger for not just food, but for love. I meet so many lonely, unloved people. The number one pain that people face when they retire is loneliness. A man named Joe Lamy started a group to serve retirees who feel "cut off" from friends. They gather simply to talk. Lamy said, "When it comes to happiness, it's not about money, but relationships."

Lamy retired from work at 75. But loneliness kept working. Empty house walls became his friends. His wife died recently. No children to visit. Friends died or moved away. Then he made a life changing discovery at a Walgreens pharmacy in Seattle. 

"When his turn finally came to approach the counter, the pharmacist placed a pill bottle into a bag, stapled it, and tossed it into a box about eight feet away.

"Good shot," Lamy said to the pharmacist.

"Practice," she replied, and each of them carried on with their day.

While the interaction might have been insignificant to the pharmacist, it carried meaning for Lamy and shifted the course of his day.

"I didn't have to say anything, but I did. And it made me happy. She and I had this little moment, this tiny little moment."

Lamy discovered what other psychologists confirm. Even your smallest connections to another human being can fill you with joy. That's why he started a bi-weekly "talking group" of older people just like him. One hour can turn into a whole afternoon of connecting.

The group is so successful that it is going nationwide. Lamy concluded, "the typical American dream, like being successful and accumulating wealth, is not important. Relationships are."

I have been attending a group like this for years. We have them right here in West Union and Peebles. It's called "church." Church is where I connect with fellow friends of Jesus. Then we celebrate the "big moment" when we connect with God in prayer. When we leave church, God sends us out to "wait on others" who need to connect with God, too. 

We should not just "go to church." We should "make church" by connecting others with Jesus.

What do you call a book club that’s been stuck on the same book for years? Church.

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