Healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law

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Depiction from a gospel book from Mount Athos, 13th century

The healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law describes a so-called healing miracle through Jesus of Nazareth in the New Testament of the Bible . The story is mentioned in the books of Mark ( Mk 1,29–31  EU ), Luke ( Lk 4,38–39  EU ) and Matthew ( Mt 8,14–15  EU ). In addition to the interpretation of the scene through the interpretation of the Bible and the Christian sermon , the miracle story served as a template for various works of Christian art .

Biblical background of the healing miracle

The healing of the apostle Simon Peter's mother-in-law from a fever is described in two or three verses . The story follows the form of a Hellenistic healing miracle story; that is, it has a rather simple structure:

I. The nature of the suffering is presented;
II. The healing procedure is carried out;
III. the healing success is determined.

Due to the different position and the narrative framework in the synoptic gospels , this miracle gets its own accent. Mark and Luke still call the apostle Simon; Although this epithet was not given until later in Matt. 16:18, Matthew already referred to him as Peter, since this name was more common at the time his Gospel was written.

Luke

Luke starts this healing miracle very early on in Jesus' public appearance. After the sermon of John , the baptism of Jesus and the temptation in the desert, there is a dramatic appearance in the synagogue of Nazareth : Jesus refers to a prophecy of end-time salvation from Isaiah ( Isa. 61 : 1-2  EU ) and becomes with death threatened. He goes to Capernaum , teaches in the synagogue, and heals a man with an unclean spirit. Then he goes to Simon's house, whose mother-in-law has a high fever. At the request of the household, Jesus heals the woman by threatening the quasi-personified fever. The healing is instantaneous; the fever leaves the woman who gets up immediately and goes back to serving the family. More healings and casting out of demons follow at sunset; Pressed by the people, Jesus goes to Judea.

Markus

Mark positions the healing miracle after the first appearance of Jesus, the calling of the first four disciples, including Simon and Andrew, and a sermon in the synagogue of Capernaum, which culminates in an expulsion of demons. After the public appearance in the synagogue, the gospel changes, so to speak, to privacy ( “they went straight to Simon and Andrew's house ” ). There they meet the febrile mother-in-law. The disciples talk to Jesus about them , which in the translations is interpreted as a request for healing. The affection of Jesus is described in three steps: He went to her, took her hand and lifted her up . According to the customs of the time, touching a strange woman must be seen as a taboo. In contrast to Luke, Mark's healing is not carried out exorcistically . Jesus doesn't need words, he doesn't pray, he doesn't even lay his hand on. Rather, Jesus heals under his own power. He offers her his hand, the fever subsides, the woman stands up and serves them. A healing summary follows , because people with diseases of all kinds successfully desire healing: the whole city was gathered in front of the door ( Mk 1.33  EU ). The next day, Jesus sets out for Galilee.

Matthew

The context in Matthew's Gospel is completely different. After the calling of the first four disciples, Matthew reports on the Sermon on the Mount , which took place on a hill near Capernaum. After this presentation of the teaching of Jesus comes a group of ten miracles as narrative material, before a second long speech, the broadcast speech , follows. So Matthew alternates the elements “speaking” and “doing”. The ten miracles are several healing miracles, a healing sum and the calming of the sea storm. The demands of discipleship, the calling of the tax collector Matthew and the meal with sinners are inserted into this corpus.

When Jesus descends from the “ Mount of Beatitudes ”, he heals a leper when he comes to Capernaum, the captain's servant. The literary composition thus comes from the “vastness” into the “city” and then into a single house. When Jesus then sees the feverish mother-in-law in Peter's house, he touches her hand, whereupon the fever leaves her. Contrary to the other representations, there is no request from those involved. She gets up and serves him.

This is followed by the healing summary , which particularly emphasizes the healing of the possessed and alludes to the suffering of the servant of God with a quote from Isaiah . The demands of following Jesus and the calming of the storm at sea interrupt the sequence of healing miracles, which is then resumed with the story of the possessed of Gerasa.

Interpretative approaches

As the comparison of the tradition of the “healing of Peter's mother-in-law” shows, this healing miracle must be interpreted in the context of the respective Gospel.

Exegesis of the Gospel Accounts

For Luke the healing of Peter's mother-in-law is the second miracle ever and the first “physical” healing miracle (immediately before the healing of a possessed person is reported). The healings are the "confirmation" of Jesus' sermon in the synagogue in Nazareth (came to give sight to the blind) , which was rejected by the listeners there. The "healing of the mother-in-law" also shows - as is often the case with Luke - the devotion to the poor and sick. The answer to healing is service, which in Luke and Mark has a social character. At the same time, the operation demonstrates the restored health in front of everyone. Only later is the calling of the first disciples.

The same applies to (the earlier written) Mark : the sermon of the near kingdom of God is followed by confirmation through healings: two described in detail and one healing sum. Mark emphasizes the presence of the four first called disciples. Like Matthew, Markus describes the process of the miracle in small details: The mother-in-law “lies sick” , the relatives pray for her. Jesus counteracts this need , he takes her by the hand and straightens her up , so he heals on the Sabbath. The "standing up" is a Jewish synonym for "healing", but is also used in the New Testament as a term for "raising" or "resurrection".

With Matthew , Jesus acts on his own initiative, "without a prior request being made". In literary terms, Matthew “focuses” in three steps from the vastness of the mountain to the diverse city (the captain's servant is a non-Jew) and then on the woman's sick bed. The patient and Jesus stand alone for a moment in the center. In these two stories, Matthew shows Jesus' devotion to non-Jews and women, which was offensive at the time. The miracles themselves are simple but symbolic. The woman's healing is brought about by her ministry; H. of succession, answered.

Depth psychological interpretation

Eugen Drewermann , who speaks of a clash of necessities of everyday life and the great ideals of the kingdom of God, provides a further deep psychological interpretation of the Gospel of Mark : " Could it not be that what we call 'normal' is in truth (...) completely insane fever is (...) ? ”Jesus remedied this insanity through his love.

Feminist exegesis

From the perspective of feminist exegesis , Barbara Mörtl has analyzed the pericope according to Mark and believes that it - emphasized by the early position in Mark's Gospel - emphasizes the equal importance of women and men in following Jesus. This succession, however, does not primarily have to do with power and prestige, but requires a willingness to serve. Unlike the verbal calling of men, this woman is called through healing and physical contact . It is of great symbolic importance that she should straighten up to her wholeness. The supposed serving of the male society is in reality the rise of the mother-in-law to a first follower of Jesus and thus a model of true followers.

Ingeborg Kruse dares to portray the figure in the sense of a harmony of the Gospels from a female perspective. Under the title “The Fish Woman” , Kruse summarizes all biblical and archaeological details that can be found in the environment of Simon Peter's mother-in-law and creates a piece of narrative theology by showing the healing, but also parts of the ongoing Jesus story from this woman's point of view observes and describes.

liturgy

  • Roman Catholic Church : The healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law in the version of Mark is the Gospel on the 5th Sunday of the annual cycle ( reading year B ), also on the Wednesday of the first week of the annual cycle and on the Saturday of the twelfth week of the annual cycle. The version of Matthew is intended for masses in which the anointing of the sick is also donated, as well as in the mass for the sick. In the Roman Missal after the Council of Trent (in use until the liturgical reform in 1969), the healing story was planned as the Gospel on the Friday after the third Sunday of Lent , on the fourth Saturday after Pentecost, and at Mass for the seriously ill.
  • Protestant churches : This miracle story does not appear in the pericopes of the Protestant church of Lutheran and United States.
  • Russian Orthodox Church : Even in the reading regulations of the Russian Orthodox Church, this healing miracle is not recorded under the Sunday pericopes. Various prayers for the sick take up the motif.

Treatment of the subject in the visual arts

Pen drawing by Rembrandt
The so-called house of St. Peter under the church in Capernaum.
Codex Egberti, fol. 22v, around 985

The subject of the healing of the mother-in-law is represented relatively frequently in the visual arts of the Middle Ages: Solange (the miracles, especially the healings) - as in the West until the end of the 11th century, in Byzantium until the 15th century - as a sign of power , related to the divinity and glory of Christ, they were depicted very often. (...) The representations of the healing of the sick and the raising of the dead were in early Christian art (...) an expression of the desire for redemption. This is changing in modern times; apart from Rembrandt's drawing, there are not many important representations to be found. The different versions of the three evangelists are also reflected in art, such as the straightening of the woman according to Mark, the commanding gestures according to Luke and the touching of her hand according to Matthew.

The small pen drawing (around 1650–1660) by Rembrandt van Rijn impressively shows the "raising" of the sick woman through Jesus. People are facing each other, their feet are touching, there is eye contact. Rembrandt appears to have presented the version of the Gospel of Mark.

In the Egbert Codex (10th century) there is a healing of the mother-in-law by the hand of the so-called Master of the Registrum Gregorii , which is based on the Gospel of Luke. The mother-in-law is already wrapped in the shroud in front of the house and holds out a hand expectantly towards Jesus; he blesses with a majestic gesture. Also Peter, who supports the sick, makes a pleading gesture. Four other apostles stand behind Jesus as witnesses of the healing.

The Codex aureus Epternacensis, the Gospels of Echternach (between 1030 and 1050), also contains a description of the healing of the mother-in-law. It stands next to the healing of the paralyzed man whom his friends let down to Jesus through the covered roof. Perhaps this is to suggest that the mother-in-law was in a similarly helpless position. In any case, it seems - like the Egbert Codex - already wrapped in a kind of shroud. The three disciples stand behind her with pleading gestures, the sick woman raises her right hand. Jesus stands upright in front of her and shows a speech (no blessing as with the paralyzed man in the picture next to it).

The colored woodcut (around 1981) from the "Project Bible" by Günter Skrodzki (see web link) is also based on the Gospel of Luke and shows the intercession of the family and the blessing of Jesus in an expressionist but understandable representation.

In the wall frescoes in Mistras (1301/1400) the healing of a blind man and the healing of the mother-in-law are related. Flanked by the disciples, Jesus comes very close to the sick person, who is being supported by Peter.

The version of the Gospel of Matthew can be found in the pericope book of Kuno von Falkenstein (fol. 45v) from the 14th century, which is in the Trier Cathedral Treasury (Hs. 6). Jesus touches the hand of the sick who is lying on a bed in front of the house. Peter stands behind his mother-in-law, opposite Jesus, the other eleven apostles crowd behind Jesus, so that most of them can only be seen their heads. This creates a group of three with symbolic meaning in the right half of the picture. In the theological literature of patristics , Peter's mother-in-law is interpreted as a synagogue, as a representative of the Old Testament, who is healed by Jesus and from which the Ecclesia, the Church of the New Testament, now arises, which is on the rock, i.e. on Peter to be built.

Depiction in the gospel book of Abbess Hitda von Meschede (11th century)

The healing of Simon's mother-in-law in a 13th century gospel book from Mount Athos has become more widely known as a prayer slip. Here Jesus, followed by the slower disciples, hurries to the sick person, who stretches out towards him, hands touch. Three disciples, with Peter at their head, follow Jesus into the sickroom, a younger woman (Peter's wife?) Stands behind the head of the bed.

In the small mountain village of Louvaras in the Troodos Mountains of Cyprus there is a well-preserved cycle of frescoes (1495) by Philip Goul in the Church of St. Mamas (Agios Mamas) , which shows scenes from the New Testament (from various Gospels), including the Healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law.

The picture in the Cologne Gospels with Capitulars of Abbess Hitda (around 1020) differs from the usual representation , because here the patient actively and pleadingly approaches the seated Jesus, who takes her outstretched hand.

A curiosity is the picture from the pericope book of the Benedictine monastery of Sankt Erentrud on the Nonnberg in Salzburg (around 1140): here, next to the text of the healing of the mother-in-law, the healing of an elderly man is shown, which does not correspond to any of the healings in the Gospel. An early entry in the library qualifies this as a mistake by the illuminators.

Other reception

The story of the healing of Peter's mother-in-law is little known compared to other biblical stories. Still, there is an occasional reception:

  • In Andreas Englisch's detective novel “Die Petrusakte” a prince tries with murder and manslaughter to prevent the publication of writings that mention a wife of Peter, although such a wife is already assumed in the New Testament.
  • Jos Rosenthal's documentary “Die Frauen um Jesus” (Austria 1984) deals with Jesus' positive relationship with the various women in the New Testament, among others. a. to the mother-in-law of Simon Peter.
  • The French theologian Michel Clévenot , a proponent of the materialistic interpretation of the Bible , rewrote this pericope in his “Contra-Gospel” and added an emancipatory accent: “(...) the mother-in-law said to him: 'I can see' you want that I get up and stand behind the saucepan. But I will teach you to treat women as unpaid servants! I am staying in bed!' Then the sun went down and anyone who had a mother-in-law had to eat from cans that evening. "
  • According to the pericope on the healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law, the apostle was evidently married. Nevertheless, this point only plays a subordinate role in today's discussion about celibacy . Without going into celibacy, Drewermann, for example, discusses whether the mother-in-law's illness was because Simon wanted to give up his job - with uncertain consequences for the family. One reason that Bible readers and theology do not find the pericope offensive may be that the Gospel of Luke only mentions the calling of the disciples (with possible abandonment of the family) later ( Luke 5 : 1–11  EU ). According to the Bible, it is unlikely that the phrase “and they left everything and followed him” actually refers to a complete separation from the family (and not just to the separation from property), because Paul argues decades later: “We don't have that Right to take a believing woman with you, like the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and like Cephas? ” ( 1 Cor 9 : 5  EU ) So Paul also knows a wife of Simon who lives with him. The more important reason, however, will be that the historical development of celibacy is certain and it is therefore not necessary to look for celibate apostles or to be frightened by married apostles.

literature

Urtext and scientific commentaries

Individual examinations

  • Monika Fander: The position of women in the Gospel of Mark with special consideration of cultural and religious-historical backgrounds. Telos-Verlag, Altenberge 1989. ISBN 3-89375-017-7 , pp. 17-34; Pp. 371-375.
  • Renate M. Fink: The message of the healing action of Jesus. Examination of the thirteen exemplary accounts of Jesus' healing action in the Gospel of Mark. Innsbruck 2000. ISBN 978-3-7022-2302-1 (here especially pp. 28–33)
  • Deborah Krause: Simon Peter's Mother-in-Law - Disciple or Domestic Servant? Feminist Biblical Hermeneutics and the Interpretation of Mark 1.29-31. in: Amy-Jill Levine, Marianne Blickenstaff (Eds.): A Feminist Companion to Mark. Sheffield Academic Press, Sheffield 2001. ISBN 1-84127-194-2 (pp. 37-53)
  • Barbara Mörtl: Peter's mother-in-law. The ecclesial competence of women according to Mark 1.29–31. A feminist-theological investigation. Graz 2002. (Diss., Unedited)
  • Barbara Mörtl: The healing of the mother-in-law (Mk 1,29-31) - joy or nuisance? In: Joseph Pichler, Christoph Heil (ed.): Healings and miracles. Theological, historical and medical approaches. WBG Darmstadt 2007. ISBN 978-3-534-20074-0 , pp. 130-142.

Art historical aspects

  • Gunther Franz (Ed.): The Egbert Codex. The life of Jesus. A highlight of book illumination 1000 years ago. WBG Darmstadt 2005. ISBN 3-8062-1951-6
  • Bernadette Neipp: Le Christ de Rembrandt. L'Evangile lu en Dialogue avec l'Image. UNIL, Lausanne 1997. (Diss., Unedited)

Web links

Commons : Healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ Alfons Weiser: What the Bible calls miracles. A non-fiction book on the accounts of the Gospels . Stuttgart (KBW) 1982 (5), p. 41.
  2. ↑ a b Joachim Gnilka, Evangelical-Catholic Commentary on the New Testament, Volume II / 1, The Gospel according to Markus , Zurich a. a. 1978, p. 84, ISBN 3-7887-0576-0
  3. ↑ Strack-Billerbeck point out at this point that “serving women at the table was frowned upon”; see. Hermann Leberecht Strack, Paul Billerbeck: Commentary on the New Testament from Talmud and Midrash. The Gospel according to Matthew explained from the Talmud and Midrash . Munich 1926 (2), p. 480. All three Gospels, however, know this formulation, whereby Mk and Lk have "served them" and Mt "served him" (exclusively). “Serving” must therefore have a deeper meaning, s. u .; different from Diefenbach.
  4. ↑ Renate M. Fink: The message of the healing action of Jesus. Innsbruck 2000, p. 31.
  5. ↑ ( Mk 1.31  EU )
  6. ↑ Strack-Billerbeck, Commentary on the New Testament from Talmud and Midrash . The Gospel according to Mark, Luke, John and the Acts of the Apostles explained from the Talmud and Midrash. Munich 1923, p. 2
  7. ↑ Lt. Renate M. Fink: The message of the healing action of Jesus , Innsbruck 2000, p. 31, this expression occurs 52 times.
  8. ↑ Cf. Eduard Schweizer, Das Evangelium nach Matthäus , NTD, p. 140. However, the healing of the mother-in-law is not the only “unsolicited” miracle, cf. Lk 7:11: The young man in Nain is raised from the dead .
  9. ^ Walter Grundmann, The Gospel according to Matthew, Theological Hand Commentary on the New Testament , Vol. 1, Berlin 1986, 6th edition, p. 255
  10. ↑ His healing occurs through "one word" and from a distance; without acquaintance and without touch.
  11. ↑ In the healing of the servant, the emphasis is on faith, but this is irrelevant for the healing of the mother-in-law.
  12. ↑ Renate M. Fink: The message of the healing action of Jesus. Innsbruck 2000, 32: Service is a basic attitude and an essential part of the disciples' succession [... it] means more than 'just' an ordinary housewife job. This observation in the Gospel of Mark also applies to Matthew because the same verb is used diakonein .
  13. ^ Eugen Drewermann: The Gospel of Mark. Olten 1988 (2) pp. 202-209, here p. 206.
  14. ↑ This criticizes Gerd Lüdemann , texts and dreams , Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1992, ISBN 3-525-87159-7 , p. 76, sharply.
  15. ↑ Barbara Mörtl: The mother-in-law of Peter. The ecclesial competence of women according to Mark 1.29–31. A feminist-theological investigation. Graz 2002.
  16. ↑ All quotations refer to Barbara Mörtl: The healing of the mother-in-law (Mk 1.29–31) - joy or nuisance? In: Joseph Pichler, Christoph Heil (ed.): Healings and miracles. Theological, historical and medical approaches. WBG Darmstadt 2007. pp. 130f.
  17. ↑ Barbara Mörtl: The healing of the mother-in-law , p. 137 and 140.
  18. ↑ Ingeborg Kruse, Capernaum - the fish woman , in: Girls, wake up! New Testament women's stories. , Kreuz, Stuttgart 1989, pp. 65-71, ISBN 3-7831-0964-7
  19. ^ Archabbey of Beuron : 5th Sunday in the annual cycle B
  20. ↑ Missale romanum ex decreto concilii tridentini […], 27th ed.
  21. ↑ Sermon texts of the Evangelical Church in Württemberg as well as the Evangelical Church of the Union and the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-931895-17-3 , pp. 417-422 and liturgical calendar of the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church (NEK ) ( Memento of the original from January 15, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. / @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.liturgischer-kalender.de
  22. ↑ Liturgical readings according to the church calendar of the Orthodox Church of Russia ( Memento of the original from December 8, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.russische-kirche-l.de
  23. ↑ Prayer for the sick or insistent ectenia
  24. ^ So the Lexicon of Christian Iconography . Lim. by Engelbert Kirschbaum. Edited by Wolfgang Braunfels. 8 vols. Herder Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau a. a. 1968-1976. ISBN 3-451-22568-9 . Here: LCI IV, 543f.
  25. ↑ For example, Stefano Zuffi mentions: Stories and People of the New Testament. (Bildlexikon der Kunst; 5) . Berlin 2004 - specializing in painting from the late Middle Ages onwards - not this subject at all.
  26. ↑ Trier, City Library, Ms 24, fol. 22v.
  27. ↑ The codex is in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg , Hs. 156 142, fol 53 v.
  28. ↑ Fig. In black and white.
  29. ↑ Barbara Peters, Helmuth Weiß, Anja Schliebitz: Cyprus (travel guide) - HdSdSP without illus.
  30. ↑ Darmstadt Hs 1640 fol. 77
  31. ^ Bavarian State Library, Cod. Lat. 15903, fol 70.
  32. ↑ Table of contents and review
  33. ^ Michel Clévenot: Le Contre-Evangelie d'Anatole . Paris 1975. Quoted from: Dietrich Schirmer (Ed.): The Bible as a political book. Contributions to a liberating Christology. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1982, p. 146. For the materialistic interpretation of the Bible, see: Michel Clévenot: We don't know the Bible like this. Instructions for a materialistic reading of biblical texts. Chr. Kaiser-Verlag, Munich 1980 (2). ISBN 3-459-01322-2
  34. ^ Eugen Drewermann: The Gospel of Mark. Olten 1988 (2), pp. 203-205.
  35. ↑ It is clear from the New Testament (Mk 1: 29-31; Mt 8: 14-15; Lk 4: 38-39; 1 Tim 3: 2, 12; Tit 1: 6) that at least the Apostle Peter had been married (...) in: Priestly celibacy in patristics and in the history of the Church, Vatican 1993
This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on November 24, 2008 .