Jesus went over to her and grasped her hand and helped her up, and the fever left her. In the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus hits the road running. After the completion of his period of preparation (baptism and testing in the desert), Jesus embarks with haste on the two important aspects of his mission: teaching and healing. In yesterday's Gospel reading, we saw those gathered in the synagogue marvel at the manner of Jesus’ teaching, for unlike the scribes and other teachers of the law, Jesus taught with authority. Not only were the words that issued from Jesus’ mouth in line with his way of life, they also touched the lives of those who heard them. Jesus was an authentic teacher of the law because he was ready to “get his hands dirty,” as it were. We get a glimpse of this in today’s Gospel account.
While in yesterday's Gospel account Jesus healed the possessed man from "afar" (through the word of his mouth), today's healing account is rather intimate. Having arrived at Simon’s mother-in-law and finding her down with fever, Jesus went over to where she lay and, grasping her by the hand, he healed her. Of course Jesus would have healed her from "afar" without any trouble at all. But Jesus wanted to use the opportunity to continue his teaching mission, albeit without uttering any word. In a society where gender inequality was widely practiced and tolerated, it was inconceivable for Jesus to touch the hands of a woman who was not his wife. Secondly, Jesus was in no way permitted to come into contact with a sick person for doing so was to put his life at risk. For some reason, Jesus chose to “ignore” what his society prescribed. Was it that Jesus cared less about his own wellbeing? Could it be that he did not see any value in upholding what his community believed and taught? Highly unlikely.
Jesus began his preaching mission by proclaiming the in-breaking of God’s reign (cf. Luke 4:18-21). He accomplished this in word and deed. The year of favor that was unfolding had to be experienced in the lives of the people. Jesus touched a woman who was not his wife because he had to show his audience how to proclaim liberty to captives. If Jesus' teaching was authoritative, it was because he practiced what he taught. How else would he explain God being involved in a person's life if he, a rabbi, God's messenger, looked from afar? How could he explain God breaking down the barriers of oppression and inequality if he himself acted in a way that portrayed an endorsement of oppression and inequality?