Embellishment

The fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him

Matthew 8: 14-15

When Jesus entered, 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 serve him.

When I imagine ‘serving’ to be getting a drink of water or plating up some nosh since that’s what hosts do. I imagine an old woman on creaky joints refusing to rest because taking care of the sudden man guest is her job, and so she goes right back to doing what’s expected of her even after a life saving intervention. I’m angry on her behalf. She’s had a life changing experience! Give the lady a break!

But guess what: none of that is in the text, just embellishments from my imagination.

Peter is young, what if his mother in law is too? What ‘serving’ means listening to Jesus preach? Helping him distribute food to the crowds? What if she was serving him because she wanted to, and now that the obstacle to her greatest desire was dealt with, she was overjoyed to get to it?

Ask a mother-in-law (yours if you have one) what she would do if given the time to do it with all obstacles removed. Was it what you expected her to say?

— Kate Davoli