Mothers-in-law, in many cultures and places, have often been the subjects of jokes and the occasions of family strife. So, it's a nice touch in St Luke's gospel that one of the very first healings that Jesus did was for the mother-in-law of His new disciple, Simon Peter. But news of it soon spread around the neighbourhood, and we quickly get a picture of a very busy Jesus healing lots of sick and disturbed people. Crowds came back again looking for Him. They came surely in hope of healing for themselves and their loved ones, a hope that came to life in them through the "good news" they'd begun to hear from Jesus' preaching. They came, wanting Him to stay with them and not go off to other places, like He said it was His mission to do.

We come to Jesus too, in hope of healing, because we've recognized our needs, have heard about Him and accepted His word in faith. But we don't necessarily know how our hopes will be fulfilled. Clinging to our own ideas of what healing we should receive is like those people wanting to cling to Jesus and not let Him go to share His good news with others. Faith in Jesus brings a hope that's much greater than our limited human capacities to imagine and ask for. It brings a love of Jesus that in fact keeps Him with us even when He's "away" caring for others. That love leads us to go to others, to bring His good news and His love to people in need, bring the hope that heals.