Simon's Mother-in-Law-Deacon?

Simon’s Mother-in-Law

In 258, Lawrence, Deacon of Rome, was brought before the court of the Emperor Valerian and ordered to present the treasures of the Church to the magistrate. Lawrence, was responsible for the care of those in need, most especially those who needed food, clothing, shelter – pretty much anything at all. As Deacon he was charged to connect them with the resources of the church so that none would be hungry, thirsty or naked. “Set in the context of Jewish understandings of the abundance that God created when making the world, the deacon was in charge of enacting God’s created intentions.” [Richard Swanson, Provoking the Gospel of Mark, p108] So it was that Lawrence went throughout the city gathering all those to whom he had ministered throughout the years and presented them to the court. When asked who all these indigent-looking people were, Lawrence is said to have replied, “These people are the treasures of the Church.” For this act of faith, Lawrence was martyred.

I bring this up in connection with a story often called, The Healing Of Simon’s Mother-in-Law, Mark 1:29-39, for reasons that shall become clear. Things move quickly in Mark’s first chapter. After returning from his 40 days in the wilderness pondering just what it means to be God’s Beloved Son, Jesus began to announce that the Kingdom of God was at hand. He goes down to the sea and calls four fishermen to “follow him.” Simon and his brother Andrew, and James and John Zebedee leave their nets and boats, workers and family, and follow him. Next stop, on the Sabbath he goes to teach in the synagogue in Capernaum – where today there is a sign at the gates to the excavated remains of that town that says, “Capernaum – the City of Jesus.” While teaching a man with an unclean spirit appears, Jesus carries on a conversation with the spirit, silences it and sends it away. Word of this began to spread throughout the region.

Later that same Sabbath day, he, along with James and John, enter Simon and Andrew’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law is in bed with a fever. Jesus takes her by the hand and lifts her up. Immediately the fever left her and, the text concludes, “she began to serve them.” At evening, after sundown, “the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak because they knew him.” After this frenzy of activity, he goes off alone to a deserted place to pray. Simon and his companions search and proclaim, “Everyone is searching for you!” To which he replies, “Let’s go to other towns so I may preach the message there also, for that is what I came out to do.” They leave Capernaum and he proclaims his message in synagogues and casts out demons wherever they go.

It’s easy to miss what is going on here because of at least two assumptions: 1) the name given to this episode focuses on the healing, and 2) the translators purposely show bias in translating a key Greek word, diakoneo. Diakoneo can mean to serve, but throughout the New Testament it primarily is used of the disciples and other men to mean “deacon,” an office in the early church and to this day; people like Lawrence, Deacon of Rome. When dikoneo is used for women, however, New Testament translators use the word “serve,” as in serving tables. Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel, in her book The Women Around Jesus, suggests that some rethinking is in order here. Perhaps Simon’s mother-in-law did rise up and feed the people in and around her house, which would be acting in the tradition of Sarah and Abraham who entertained angels unaware!

But what if, asks Moltman-Wendel, if Simon’s mother-in-law “deaconed” to them and others. Perhaps, we might imagine, she got up and went around town and joined in gathering the “whole city” that ends up on her door-step at sun-down – sun-down because that is when Sabbath is over and the “work” of healing and casting out demons can really begin full bore. That is, in the Jewish tradition of sharing God’s abundance, she becomes the first “deacon” in the Jesus Movement, soon to be joined by the large group of women who have followed him from Galilee and have “deaconed” to him and were in fact the link who connected need after need after need with Jesus’ abilities! And these first deacons were those women who in the end were at the cross watching him be tortured to death.

A close reading of Mark reveals that the disciples were no good at this. They are depicted trying to keep people away from Jesus, and urging Jesus to send people away to fend for themselves! Later in chapter 10 they are still so clueless that we find the Zebedee brothers asking to sit at Jesus’ right hand and left in the kingdom. To which Jesus’ replies, “it is not for me to grant, but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” Now this is often thought to mean “only God knows”, or, God forbid, that such “honors” are a matter of “pre-destination.” Jesus, however, goes on to insist that “whoever desires to become great among you will be your diakonos (servant), … because the Son of Man came not to be served (to be deaconed to) , but to serve (deacon).” To be like Jesus is to be like a deacon among us.  Simon’s mother-in-law knows what it means to serve others – all others no matter who, what, or where. Jesus may as well be telling the Zebedees and the other 10, just look back at Simon’s mother-in-law and the sisters who have been with us all this way and figure it out yourselves.

Meanwhile, he wants to put his emphasis on Torah – which rather than law means “teaching” or “practice.” Torah derives from a word associated with a bow and arrow, which needs “practice” to be used well. An associated word, “sin,” means the arrow has missed its mark. More practice is necessary. After praying in a deserted place following the Healing and Exorcism Festival back in town, Jesus resets his sights on teaching – teaching the practices of the Kingdom of God, which are exemplified in acts of “deaconing,” beginning with Simon’s mother-in-law, and the women around Jesus, and eventually Lawrence of Rome.

We are here to continue to proclaim the message of God’s belovedness for all people, and to join Simon’s mother-in-law, the women around Jesus, and brave and courageous women all over the world in connecting people in need with Jesus and the resources that God intends for us to share with the world at-large. We are all called to acts of “deaconing,” not just those who hold that specific office in the Church, but all of us who claim to follow Jesus.

Note, Jesus subordinates his powers of healing and exorcism to the greater need of getting the Word out, proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He does so because his and our proclamation is the only context in which the power of healing gains its true meaning. Alongside our acts of deaconing, our voices joining his to proclaim God’s intentions is a necessary part of following him, and leads to the healing of the world, tikkun olam as Jesus and his associates would call it. As Saint Paul once wrote, the whole world stands on tip toes to see if we will in fact follow him and bring healing and God’s Shalom to all people – all people.  We are to gather all those in need, present them to the powers of empires and declare, “These are the treasures of the church and of the world.” Amen.