A Mother’s Work Is Never Done

Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. – Mark 1:30-31 (NRSV)

This story cracks me up. Simon’s mother was very ill, consumed with a fever, but Jesus was able to cure his friends mother, to raise her up. What a moment that must have been.

So after this life-threatening illness and a miracle cure, what does this woman do next? She makes them all dinner, of course. Simon may be a grown-up, his mother may have just had a near-death experience, but a mother’s work is never done.

Back when I had one child in college and another kid with one short year left at home, I found myself suddenly longing to cook meals for kids. I loved it when Ab’s friends just happened to find themselves together around the kitchen counter, and I could whip up a little something.

In my early years of parenting, cooking for my children was just another chore in a working mom’s life. But now that my kids are grown, I’d like to do more of it. I look forward to that kind of care-taking.

When Simon’s mother recovered, she must have been enormously grateful to have been given more days to live. But what she chose to do in that moment was something very ordinary. She cooked a meal for her son and his friends. Because when you look back on your life, it’s not the big vacations, the promotions, or the extraordinary events you remember. It’s the simple stuff, like cooking a meal for your son and his friends.

Prayer
God, you are the host, the mother who waits for us with a heavenly banquet and a loving heart. In you, may we find the grace to delight in each other and in each day you give us.

About the Author
Lillian Daniel is Senior Pastor at First Congregational Church in Dubuque, Iowa. She is the author of Tired of Apologizing for a Church I Don’t Belong To and When “Spiritual but not Religious” is Not Enough.