Fever & Rebuke

Modern science tells us that fever is a temporary increase in body temperature because of our bodies fighting infections. It is a symptom than a cause. Since it is a natural phenomenon, we don’t expect it to have a “personhood” like an evil spirit that Jesus could rebuke. But the story was different in Simon’s house.

“Arising (anistimi) from the synagogue, Jesus entered the house of Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law was constrained with a great fever, and they asked him concerning her. Standing (efistimi) over her, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately arising (anistimi), she served them.” (Luke 4:38–39)

As we read this little story, we get the impression that the fever was like an oppressor that had constrained Simon’s mother-in-law from doing what she liked, i.e., serving the guests. It had incapacitated her. Jesus rebuked the fever as he would an evil spirit, and it left her so that she could resume what she enjoyed doing.

That was the basic story, but it was said beautifully in the text. Jesus was in Capernaum and a synagogue when they brought to him a man oppressed by an evil spirit. That evil spirit acknowledged Jesus as God’s holy one. Jesus rebuked it and made it come out of that person. Both the spirit and that man were freed from each other at that moment (Luke 4:33–37). Arising (anistimi) from that incident and synagogue, Jesus entered Simon’s house, where his mother-in-law was lying down. By the time Jesus finished the miracle, she arose (anistimi) and served them. He had to stand over (efistimi) her for her to arise. These words – ana-istimi and efi-istimi – are related and showed a motion: getting up from a seat, standing over a bed, and getting up from a bed.

These imageries picturesquely showed how demonic work or physical ailments like a fever could constrain a person from doing one’s delight and calling. Simon’s mother-in-law delighted in serving the people, but she could not when the fever took over her and oppressed her. Jesus freed her at her home just as he freed the man with an evil spirit in the synagogue.

Even in our lives, several things can take over us and constrain us from doing what we enjoy, including serving others. Jesus alone can rebuke and free us from whatever constrains us, whether in religious places or at home.