Private Acts of Compassion

Scripture – Mark 1:29-34: ²⁹As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. ³⁰Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. ³¹So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. ³²That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. ³³The whole town gathered at the door, ³⁴and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Reflection: A couple things catch my attention here. First, this is a private healing of Simon’s mother-in-law. There are no crowds. It’s a simple act of compassion for a single person in private. Second, it’s still the Sabbath when Jesus does this. After sunset, when the Sabbath was over, people showed up. They knew it was against the Jewish Law to heal on the Sabbath.

One aspect of integrity is that I act the same privately as I do publicly. Jesus didn’t need to show off. He did a lot of public healing. Many times He intentionally broke the Law by healing people on the Sabbath. Here, though, He’s in the privacy of a home. He had nothing to prove to any of the people there. No point to drive home. It was a simple act of compassion for someone in need.

Lord, keep me open to such acts as I go through this day. Remind me that I follow you and trust your lead in all times – even and perhaps especially at home.

An Invitation: For anyone interested in sharing their personal reflections from this week’s readings, you are invited to come by the Tim Hortons donut shop at Dix-Toledo and Northline in Southgate tomorrow morning at 9:45am. We’ll have a cup of coffee and see what the Lord has been teaching us this week.

Reading for Sunday, January 13:

Scripture – Mark 1:35-39: ³⁵Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ³⁶Simon and his companions went to look for him, ³⁷and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” ³⁸Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” ³⁹So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.