Give Your Gifts Away

Give Your Gifts Away

There is a short passage in the Bible about Peter’s mother-in-law which appears in three of the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke. A small story with a loving message. 

She lay on her bed unable to move. She was physically under attack, dizzy, nauseous, and sweating with a high fever. She lay motionless with no energy or motivation to do anything.

She may have been having thoughts like this:

I really should get up and help my daughter cook dinner, but this fever is sucking the life right out of me today. I wish I felt better so I could help her. 

Maybe her head was so muddled she couldn’t think straight. Or worse, perhaps she felt the victim in her own story:

My life is a disaster, I feel so horrible I wish I was dead.  Nobody cares about me at all. Nobody loves me.  And I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. Will my life ever improve? I feel so weak and insignificant. My life sucks. 

Do you have thoughts like this?  I used to. 

As soon as Jesus arrives at Peter’s house with James and John, they pipe right up and tell him about the mother-in-law. How sick she is laying there on her bed unable to do anything but moan. Was she incessantly complaining to everyone how sick she was?  Maybe. Perhaps she had been laying there for so long in here sickly state that they couldn’t stand to hear her moaning for one more minute. Whatever the case is, they beg Jesus to heal her. (Luke 4:38)

It says in Matthew 4, Jesus had been through the countryside witnessing and healing the sick, the demon-possessed, the poor, the marginalized, widows and orphans. His heart must have been breaking for all of them. So, when he gets to Peter’s house and sees her lying on her bed sick and motionless, what do you think his thoughts were?  We’ll never know exactly but I think they were something like – “No, not another one of My precious daughters.” 

Jesus leans over her, takes her sweaty fragile hand and a miracle occurs – the fever immediately leaves her. I noticed in this miracle story, Jesus doesn’t say a word, His touch is enough.

What happens next is breathtaking. She gets up off her bed and begins to wait on him. Yes, for the first time in days, she has the energy and strength to create, she cooks food and serves. I’ve always said cooking is one of the most creative forms of work and a special gift to others and so here’s the proof from Biblical times. 

Peter’s mother-in-law had changed so quickly from a sickly state and victim disposition that she wanted to give thanks for what He had done. The story goes on to say that on that very evening many people suffering from demon-possession and other forms of illnesses arrived at Peter’s house to be healed – “he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.” (Mt. 8:16). 

What do you think Peter’s mother-in-law was doing that night?  I think she was cooking up a storm, feeding the hungry and thirsty people in her town. I believe this because if I’m thankful for what somebody has done for me; I want to reciprocate and give them thanks. She honours God by serving. 

Why is this small story recorded at all in the three Gospels? This could be a primary reason, because she mattered to Jesus, and she played an important role in what God was going to do that night. You see, it’s no mistake or fluke that she was healed by Jesus that day; she was meant to help Him tend to the hurt, sick and needy that night.

We don’t know what happened to her afterwards, all we know is what Jesus did for her right then – He touched her life and everything for her changed. She happily and joyfully gave her own heart away after being touched by his. She waited on him and others with an open heart of thanksgiving and freely gave back with some of her love gifts – cooking and serving.

Now, I know, not everyone likes to cook, that’s cool. You have other gifts you can give away. As I do. Share those gifts instead! Give love-gifts to somebody today because when you give one of your gifts away to someone, you are thanking, honouring, and praising God for them.

We are never meant to keep our gifts or our love – both are meant to be given away to others.