There is hurting and there is healing in the Scripture readings today. There are two people who are hurting and two people who are healed and they are the same two people. One is Job and the other is the mother-in-law of Peter. These two people speak to us today. They speak of hurt and service. They show us that to know the other leads to love and love brings trust and trust opens our hearts to service.

I was told this story by a priest friend. A two-story house had caught fire. The family -- mother, father and several children -- were on their way out of the burning house when the youngest boy became terrified and tore away from his mother. He ran back upstairs. Suddenly he appeared at a smoke-filled window crying and screaming for help. His father, now outside, shouted to him, "Jump, son, jump! I’ll catch you." The little boy cried, "But, daddy, I can’t see you." "I know", his father called, "I know. But I can see you."

From the snippet read from Job in the first reading one would believe that Job has fallen into despair. "Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?...I shall not see happiness again." That Job sounds down and out is not surprising. Job has lost all -- possessions, family, wealth and prestige. His friends turn on him, telling him that it is his great sinfulness that has caused these trials and tribulations. His own wife tells him to curse God and die. Job is the perfect candidate for despair. But Job insists to all that he has not committed a grave sin; that he has not offended God. He does not understand why all these bad things happened to him. His suffering is a mystery to him. Job is a man of hope. He trusts God in spite of the suffering in his life. "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord." Although he doesn’t understand he continues to trust and eventually comes to know God’s compassion, his mercy, his love. Job’s final words spoken to God are:

"I have dealt with great things that I do not understand:
things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.
I had heard of you by word of another but now my eye
has seen you."

The second hurting person is the mother-in-law of Peter. She is ill and in need of healing. We meet her, in her only mention in the Gospel, as Peter brings Jesus home to his house. This had been a momentous day for Peter and his brother Andrew. They had met Jesus while they were at their work of fishing. And Jesus called them and said, "I will make you fishers of men." They saw and heard and believed and left all to follow Jesus. Soon their co-workers, James and John, received the same call. They too left all behind to follow Jesus. Now Peter brings Jesus home to meet his family and the people of his village. As they enter Peter’s house they find his mother-in-law confined to bed with a fever. Jesus approaches her and grasps her by the hand. He helps her up and she is healed. She begins to prepare food for Peter and his guests. Her first thought is that of hospitality. She is cured and she begins to serve. She is called as was Peter and John and as they followed Jesus so does she. She also responds to the call to serve as did Peter. She came, in a brief moment, to know Jesus and to believe and immediately she begins a ministry of service. She trusts Jesus.

Listen to one of Aesop’s fables:

A blind man and a lame man happened to come, at the same time, to a piece of very bad road. The former begged the latter to guide him through his difficulties. ‘How can I do that,’ said the lame man, ‘as I am scarcely able to drag myself along? But if you were to carry me I can warn you about anything in the way, my eyes will be your eyes and you feet will be mine.’ ‘With all my heart,’ replied the blind man, ‘let us serve one another.’ So taking his lame companion on his back they traveled in this way with safety and pleasure.

With all our hearts "let us serve one another".

Sisters and brothers! When you are hurting; when down and out; when you are totally disillusioned or blue; when unhappiness hangs over you like a pall, know that Jesus is there for you just as God was there for Job. Remember that Jesus will never abandon you. Remember that you are loved. Continue to trust, to hope, to love and to serve.

Whenever you are in need of healing, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual healing, open yourself to Jesus. He will reach out to you and grasp you by the hand and help you up. He will heal you as he did Peter’s mother-in-law. Hear His call to follow and to serve and rely on his grace that is sufficient for you.