Women of the Gospels: Healing Peter's Mother-in-Law in Matthew 8:14
- Leah Brix
- Apr 5
- 5 min read
Blessed Savior,
How can I thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed upon me? My life is marked with suffering and loss, but you have shown me a better Way. I have hope in Your Resurrection and know that I will be united with my loved ones again in Paradise with You.
For many years, shame fell upon me. My husband and I were barren. But the Lord pitied me and blessed us with my sweet daughter, Rivka. She was a delight to her father and me. Our years alone with our only daughter were short.
Her father insisted upon her marrying Johah’s son, Simon. I was furious. That boy had a long reputation for mischief and trouble!
I will never forget the day he soaked me from head to foot while I was doing the washing along the banks of the Jordan.
I heard a commotion coming from upstream and noticed two figures in a makeshift little boat. The first boy I could see was Andrew. His face was white, and he was hanging on for dear life. But seated behind him was his brother Simon. Simon had his hands high in the air and was hooting and hollering as they crashed down the Jordan on their way to the open waters of the Sea of Galilee.
That wasn’t the only stunt he pulled in his youth. He was constantly inventing new and often dangerous sources of entertainment.
I wished his mild-mannered brother Andrew had been Rivka's bridegroom, but it wasn’t to be.
I eventually settled into the idea because my husband wasn’t budging, and Simon had a means of providing a comfortable living for Rivka through his fishing business.
Simon had a great zeal for life and was quite the charmer. I soon found myself falling in love with his giant personality as he teased and flirted his way into my heart.
Shortly after their wedding, my husband passed away. Oh, Lord, you know how this rocked me. As a widow, I quickly moved in with Simon and Rivka.
Watching the two of them grow in love was balm for my broken heart and a reassurance that my dear husband had chosen wisely.
It wasn’t long before Rivka conceived. Those days were filled with immense joy as we prepared for the arrival of her little child.
Blessed Jesus, my hand shakes as I even begin to write this next part. My sweet, precious Rivka never got to meet her little son—both she and her child died during childbirth.
What was to become of me? As my soul troubled to pray, I turned to the Psalms, “Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord, hear my voice.”
“My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?”
Simon also felt this sting of her death. The twinkle in his deep brown eyes went out, and he threw himself into his work.
For months, we lived as shadows passing in the night, until the day Andrew took him to meet the Christ.
That evening, we broke our silence as he told me about You. From then on, he was no longer Simon, but Cephas- Peter—the Rock. Everything changed.
Shortly after, You called him from his boat, and he dropped everything to follow You.
Forgive me, Lord, but I was so angry! I was so afraid! I know how impulsive Peter is, and I thought he threw away his whole life to follow a whim.
Between my broken heart and the hopelessness I felt at my son-in-law abandoning me, I fell greatly ill. My sickness brought me small comfort as I thought it might be a relief from the life of poverty that surely awaited me.
But as I lay on my bed, awaiting my death, the door opened, and You stepped in. You saw me lying on the bed. You saw my physical suffering, but you also saw deep into my heart and knew my inner suffering and fear.
When you touched my hand, You took my beaten and battered heart and replaced it with a new heart—one that beat for love of You, the Chosen One.
I knew that my Peter had stumbled upon a rare and precious treasure, One that was worth leaving everything behind to follow.
The Christ, the Long-Awaited Savior, was finally here, standing in my home!!
I jumped out of bed and began to prepare the finest meal I could, using the dried fish, olives, and the bit of bread that I had on hand.
My sweet, sweet savior, it has been many years since You revealed Yourself to me, but I think of that time when I fed the Lord, every time I receive You in the Breaking of the Bread.
My dear Peter is still a charming man, loved by everyone. He has since become a bulwark for promoting and defending The Way. He has just sent word that he is headed for Rome.
How I beg You to keep him safe while He does your work! But I leave him in Your hands.
Jesus, it was so good for me to look back and reflect on all that You have done for me over the years.
I praise You in my sorrows. I praise You in my pain. I praise You in my brokenness, and I praise You in my joy.
Let everything that has breath praise You, Lord!
Love,
Your faithful daughter
Dear reader, the Bible gives us two brief sentences about Peter’s mother-in-law. That means that most of this letter is a work of fiction. I did do a little bit of research about what the Church has taught about her, which is why St. Peter’s wife unfortunately dies. Tradition believes that if she were alive, she would have been mentioned at the bedside of her sick mother.
The letter also tragically ends with mention of Peter heading to Rome. St. Peter was martyred in Rome around 65 AD. He chose to be crucified upside down because he didn’t feel worthy to die in the same way as Jesus, which further highlights the depths of his humility.
But back to this fictitious letter- Peter’s mother-in-law was a really fun character for me because she seemed so relatable.
She was quick to judge before she knew Peter’s heart. She felt threatened when Peter found Jesus and was afraid of what the future would hold. She was a woman who experienced deep pain. But what was so powerful for me was how she matured in her faith and her love for not only her charismatic son-in-law but for Jesus Himself.
I hope this story draws you closer to the merciful heart of Jesus. He loves us through our pain and wants to change us if we open the door to our hearts and let Him in. We are in the throes of Lent, but let’s not forget the hope that can only be found in the Resurrection.
Until next time, your sister in Christ,
Leah
To read the story of the miracle of healing Peter's Mother-in-law, open your bible to Matthew 8:14-15, Mark 1:29-31, or Luke 4:38-39
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