Read Luke 4:31-44
“When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them”
Luke 4:38-40
Jesus now demonstrates ‘the homily’ He preached in the synagogue in Nazareth as He heals the sick, delivers people from the power of the devil and most importantly forgives people their sins. His Words and Works demonstrate that God’s Kingdom has indeed come and is being established.
Note that Luke, the doctor shows a special interest in medical side of things. When Jesus comes home he finds Peter’s mother-in-law with a fever. Jesus touched and healed her. As a result she got up and served them. In Caphernaum, you will see the remains of Peter's house where this healing happened.
The word for service is ‘diakonia’ which is often used in the New Testament to signify the service that Christians are to render to God and others. Besides because of His great compassion for us, God heals us so that we may serve Him in others. During our pilgrimage let us make it a point to serve each other, to be ready to help each other, and to bless and encourage one another.
Jesus gradually reveals the characteristics and demands of the kingdom through his words, his actions and his own person… Two gestures are characteristic of Jesus' mission: healing and forgiving’ (John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio #14).
Lord there are a lot of areas in my life where I need to be healed; painful memories, habitual patterns of thinking and acting, emotional difficulties and most of all my weakness. As you heal me, may I have the grace to get up and serve others better.