Isaiah 40:21-31 Mark 1: 29-45 A week ago, Pastor Bolivar preached about a man at Synagogue, demon-possessed, and Jesus healed him, which made everyone afraid. As Preacher, Pastor Mario asked 4 questions around: “What are you most afraid of?” This morning we read: "that same Sabbath, Jesus left that behind, healed Peter’s Mother-in-law who was ill everyone came searching for healing." So 3 questions: Do you believe Jesus Christ CAN forgive? What do you want to “leave behind” & “what do you want to be Healed To Do?” We struggle whether we are to believe in exorcisms, miracles & healings. The conjure images of of Zombies, Vampires and the movie The Exorcist. During the Enlightenment of the 1600-1700s, they tried to explain away the Miracle stories. The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes became like Stone Soup, the miracle became everyone being shamed by the young boy, into sharing their meals with one another. Thomas Jefferson so discounted miracles and exorcisms, he tried to explain away Jesus walking on water, as his walking along the shore when fog came in, so it only looked like walking on water. But there is importance in believing in the power of the miraculous. Actually “EXORCISM” as used here, is less about snake charming and commanding demons come out, than about Believing God has the ability, Calling God, EXHORTING GOD, to make a difference, to change the future of another person. In the Bible, disease/demons may, but do not have to, take the form of creatures. In commercials we have an obnoxious green guy Mr. Mucus that is cast out by Mucinex, and a persistent pink thing urging us to the restroom, only controlled by Myrbetric: or a Shadow-self representing how irritable bowels control us! Perfection, Jealousy, Greed, Envy, Sloth, Lust can all be the demons/illnesses that control our lives, attempting to take the place of God ruling our life. Implicit in the Exorcisms by Jesus, is that the Ancient world had a Caste System, a Hierarchy of Greater over Lesser beings, with God at the top; beneath which were “other gods”; beneath which were angels, spirits and demons; beneath which was humanity; beneath which were animals for food, sacrifice and burden; beneath which were the unclean. By Jesus not calling upon another god to cast out demons and diseases for him, Jesus claimed authority for himself OVER demons, as sharing in the Authority of God, this was what outraged the authorities. One of our Greatest Demons is getting sick. Part of what troubles us is our lack of control. We seek assurances, we seek substances to mask our problems. In the last month schools/public buildings have been closed in 32/50 States because of sickness. Some churches have announced there will be no shaking hands in Peace, no Communion, and definitely no Christian kiss or embracing. Thank God we live where the temperatures kill off germs! Another Part of our fear is germs are contagious; yet Jesus took her by the hand, he touched a person who was so unclean she was diseased, she was a woman, and it was on the Sabbath. This is probably the most maligned of passages in all the Bible! How dare Jesus heal this poor older woman, then make her get out of a sick bed, to serve Peter’s buddies! In Middle-Eastern culture, when a person is ill, illness takes out at least two persons and challenges survival of the family, the one who is ill and the one who cares for them. All our roles, responsibilities, traditional expectations all support the culture. Most sacred to the culture, to every person, was being a Gracious Host. Being sick, she could not BE Host in her own home. So when Jesus heals her, immediately, she is restored to The Place of Honor, to her role in the household The word for “Hosting & serving” here is where we get the title of Deacon. I love the image described here, that Peter’s Mother-in-law was healed so that she is “redeemed to the honor of Serving as Host”, and believe there is a barbed caution of true responsibility here because not only does she serve Jesus and Peter, but throughout that evening and the whole next day the whole City and Region come to her home, with every sick, diseased and demon-possessed relative, for Jesus to heal. Imagine our Sanctuary suddenly became an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago Med, the Good Doctor and The Resident all in one, where hundreds of people are brought in by ambulance suffering traumas, each with unknown disease and illness, searching for healing. How gracious would we be in this house? There is an element of that being who we are, a place of healing… We come with our wounds and dis-ease, seeking comfort and care for our suffering; far too often we get misguided by finances and administration; when the Church is to be concerned with real Healing. This is not a story of Faith versus Science. Jesus not only cured physical symptoms, his intent was to provide Healing of broken lives, relationships. The greatest tragedy for me as a pastor, has been knowing we touched lives, we were here for people when they needed us most, but then they got over it & disappeared. Healing cannot just be from symptoms, Healing has to be for a purpose. So what do you think happened to the man at Synagogue after being healed? What happened to Peter’s Mother, did she open a Hospital, did she become a follower of Jesus? What happened to each of the people of Capernaum who sought Jesus to be healed? What happened to this Leper? This is not simply a story of Jesus’ victory, because the people were pre-occupied with fixing their problems. We have a tendency to try to do the same, Everyone is searching, to make our symptoms go away, to mask problems. Medicine relies on diagnosing and alleviating symptoms. Healing is not about the symptoms, not about the present or past. Healings are future focused, you are healed in order to let go and live life. Healing is related to Forgiveness, and both come from “Leaving behind.” Instead of nursing our wounds and angers; instead of the Fishermen struggling with responsibility for their Father Zebedee’s business; they left it behind. 2000 years ago, Jesus saved the world, we do not have to; our responsibility is to welcome and walk along beside one another, working to change lives, to redeem persons lost and broken. If we do just that, if we try to redeem their humanity, we can help one another to mount up with wings like eagles, to run and not grow weary, to walk and not grow faint.