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

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. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities
    and bore our diseases.”

Matthew 8:14-17

In our last passage, we saw that the Kingdom would extend not only to Jews but to Gentiles as well; here we see that where the Kingdom goes, healing follows.

Jesus is a visitor in Peter’s house in this scene, which gives us an interesting little bit of insight into Peter’s life. I’m sure that you recall that Peter, who was a commercial fisherman, dropped everything to follow Jesus as soon as Jesus called him.  The disciples of Jesus were very young men, and we often pick up on that and almost discount the fact that they left their lives and careers to become His disciples, but here, almost in passing we see that Peter also had a house, a wife… were there children?… and his mother-in-law was in residence there. Peter had family depending on him for support, and yet he dropped everything to follow Jesus.

I’ll just pause a moment to let that sink in…

It seems that Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with some kind of fever, but Jesus touched her and she was healed, and then she got up and began to wait on Him.

Maybe I should pause again while that one sinks in…

That evening, people began to come around; they brought many who were demon possessed, and Jesus drove out the demons. They brought the sick, and Jesus healed the sick; yes sir, the Kingdom of Heaven was in town. As is Matthew’s way, he ties this in with the prophetic past of Israel, citing the prophecy of Isaiah who looked forward to that very day (Isa. 53:4).

When the Kingdom comes along, nothing is ever the same again.