¹⁴ When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

¹⁶ When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. ¹⁹ Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

²⁰ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

²¹ Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Priorities

Jesus, you are a priority to us once or twice a week.  We carve out some time of a Sunday and we say, “There you go!”  We live detached from you for days on end.  We get caught up in cleaning, work, or play.  We don’t think about the healing that you want to bring.  We don’t think of the relationships you want to restore.  We just think of something else.  many of these things seem worthy.  It seems harsh of you to want our attention now.  We will sit down and talk with you after the movie ends, or dinner is done, or the pathway is cleared of snow.  Of course, then it is the tyranny of the urgent that kills our relationship by inches.

Help us not to be task oriented.  Help us to remember that tasks were to enhance relationships and not the other way round.  Help us not to reduce anyone to a resource that serves our agenda – especially You.  Help us to see you as an ever-present person with whom we walk and talk.

Questions

1. What happened at Peter’s house?
2. What complaints did two disciples have?
3. Why isn’t Jesus being harsh?
4. Where are your priorities?
5. What if Jesus talked to you directly in this way?