A doctor met with his accountant to discuss one particular patient's long-overdue bill, which was causing the doctor a great deal of concern, since this doctor worked in private practise and did not bill OHIP.
The patient in question had required a lot of medical intervention over a long period of time.
In truth, the doctor believed that there was little hope of a cure, but the patient had insisted on continuing with medications.
Repeatedly, the doctor had attempted to help his patient come to grips with the fact that treatments weren’t going to work – however, in fact, the patient made a remarkable recovery, which the doctor said was nothing short of a miracle.
Still, there was the matter of the outstanding bill.
The accountant said he would make some inquiries into the patient’s delinquent payment, and a few days later he called to explain the situation to the doctor;
“Since you told him his recovery was a miracle, naturally, your patient sent his payment to the church."
A miraculous cure is the featured element in our gospel reading today.
Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. Jesus took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her.”
In the preceding verses to what we just read in Mark, Jesus had been in the synagogue, and while there, he taught “as one who had authority, and not like the teachers of the law”, and with the spoken word, he healed a man who was “possessed with an evil spirit” – and the people were amazed.
Here, in Simon’s home, Jesus healed the woman with a touch - and his infamy spread.
By that in the evening, the house was filled with people who wanted Jesus to heal them.

A large part of Jesus’ ministry was to bring healing - of body, mind and spirit - and to bring it where and when it was needed - no fuss, no muss.

Mark tells us that Jesus simply reached out, took the woman’s hand and raised her up.

He didn’t ask how long she had been sick or what her symptoms were.

He didn’t ask what remedies she had already tried - neither did he suggest that they just let the fever run its course.

He saw what needed to be done and he did it.

In spite of the fact that the church is not often blessed with the gift of miraculous, instantaneous physical healing, nevertheless, the church could learn something from this.

The church has often been accused of delaying action while it considers the best way to carry out that action.

We even joke about it.

How many Presbyterians does it take to change a lightbulb?

As many as are on the committee to discuss and debate the value of changing lightbulbs!

A second committee will be struck to discuss, debate and decide on the best way to implement the actual changing of lightbulbs should the former committee agree that such action is in the best interest of the Church – and will bring glory to God.
I have to think that in such a case, God would say, “Just get on with it!!!”

Now, I’m all for committees.

I am among those rare birds who actually enjoys being part of a committee – when it has a clear purpose.

The people of God gather, pray, discuss, discern and decide.

Collective wisdom and the varied gifts of God’s people often result in good decision-making.

Committees also allow for authority to rest in a group of people, and not in one individual.

In the Presbyterian Church, the Session is the governing body of the local congregation – not the minister.

The only time I vote on any issue at Session meetings is when there is a tie – and in my 20 year career, I can remember doing it only once – and it wasn’t here.

I have been both credited - and blamed – for some decisions that have been made here at Knox – and I have been clear to point out that while I may have influence, I have not been the one to decide if, when or whether things will happen or have happened.

I am the teaching elder in the congregation – but decision-making resides with the Session on some matters, the Board of Managers on other matters, and the congregation on still other matters.

Committees can serve a very useful purpose in making good decisions and getting things done.

Committees can cease to be helpful, however, if more energy is spent in committee meetings rather than in meeting needs.

Jesus was a compassionate man of action with a mandate to serve others.

Jesus called people to be his disciples – not to be members of his committee.

In witnessing Jesus heal Simon’s mother-in-law, the disciples might have preferred a more razzle-dazzle type of miraculous healing - one with some drama to it to make the telling more interesting.

But Jesus demonstrated the ordinary - nothing flashy - nothing to draw attention away from the simple fact that he was there - and he would do what needed to be done – with compassion.

And I have to say, that’s the way I’ve most often experienced Jesus’ presence in my life.

There have been no flashes of lightning – no bells ringing – no loud voices;

but there have been quiet whispers of assurance, a gradual calming of the inner storm, a word of scripture that is brought to mind at just the right moment – and I’ve known the truth of Isaiah’s words that ‘those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength.’

Eventually, and sometimes I have had to wait longer than I’d have wanted, but eventually I have been able to rise once again – sometimes just on wobbly legs, and sometimes on eagles’ wings.

I want to say a brief word about healing – because regardless of whether the surrounding demons in our own life are of the physical, emotional or spiritual kind, there are times when we are in need of Jesus’ healing word and touch – and oh, how we long to have our demons cast out instantly or our physical ills healed completely and immediately, as we read about today.

But that’s not been either my usual experience or my observation.

Healing often involves waiting – and sometimes healing does not happen – and when it doesn’t - when death claims the life of a loved one, do not lose hope or faith – and please, please, do not conclude that your prayers lacked sufficient faith.

When death comes, it is not because you did not pray properly,

nor is it because God has forsaken you –

neither is it because God has lost the ability to heal;

it is, quite simply because we are human beings who will live a finite number of days.

We will all die – but our hope and comfort lie in the promise that God is always with us – in our living, in our dying and beyond our death.

In this life, there is disease. There are accidents. There is violence.

Sometimes there is healing – sometimes there is not.

Sometimes healing is miraculous. Sometimes it is not.

In all cases, we are encouraged to maintain our hope and our trust in God’s unfailing mercy and compassion.

Now, Mark goes on to tell us that very early the next morning, Jesus went off by himself to a secluded place to pray.

Here is the first instance of what would be a great priority for Jesus - the renewal of his life and ministry, in prayer.

Behind his public ministry was his private practise of prayer.

With Jesus, it was not a matter of taking time out of a busy life to pray.

It was not a matter of trying to find enough time in the day to pray.

Jesus never just happened to find himself praying alone in a quiet place.

He was deliberate about building it into his life.

The crowded life that does not make intentional time for prayer, silence and solitude, has no means for renewal.

It was true for Jesus – it’s true for us.

An effective ministry, an effective life requires time and space for prayer.

It has been said that most middle-class North Americans tend to worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship.
All the essential elements of life are there – worship, work and play - but their order, and especially their focus, is misplaced

Jesus’ life demonstrated the proper priorities – undergirding his work and his play with worship, prayer, and abiding fellowship with God.

Jesus ministry was not just about miraculously healing fevers, or casting out demons, or changing water into wine.

His ministry was to tell people about, and demonstrate the wonders of the kingdom of God, and to invite their participation in that same Kingdom.
Jesus knew that he had to balance his ministry between caring for people’s needs and proclaiming the kingdom of God.

It wasn’t a matter of either prayer OR action. It was a matter of both prayer AND action.

If all Jesus did was perform miracles, the world would never properly understand the immensity of the kingdom of God – and that it reached well beyond their own individual lives and needs.

On the other hand, if all Jesus did was proclaim the kingdom of God in words, the world would never properly understand the intimacy of God – and that God could be experienced in their own lives in a very personal way.

Jesus demonstrated that serving the needs of others with compassion – in practical and pragmatic ways – AND proclaiming the Good News of God’s mercy and grace – were inextricably linked – and the church is called to do likewise.

If the church is active in the community and the larger world, but never speaks about why it does what it does - if the church does not somehow declare that it is the Body of Christ in action, the church is no different than many other wonderful charitable community organizations.

On the other hand, if all the church does is talk,without making any moves to act on what it says, then the church is nothing but a noisy gong or clanging symbol.

Jesus demonstrated the need for both proclamation and active ministry, both, undergirded with prayer.

This is who you are called to be and what you are called to do.

Amen.