Matthew 8:15 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

‘And he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she arose, and ministered to him.'

Note how this parallels what Jesus did with the leper. He touched both the leper and the fevered woman and they were both healed, and both would have been seen as ‘unclean'. Jewish Halakah forbade the touching of people with certain kinds of fever. But the One Who makes clean did not concern Himself about that. Once He had touched someone they were clean. We too can recognise that ‘His touch has still its ancient power'. Once we come for His touch we are made clean. He can touch us too at the point of our need. But how many of us then arise and serve Him? (The leper actually went away and disobeyed Him (Mark 1:45), although he may well have followed Him later).

‘And she arose, and ministered to him.' Such was His healing power that she was immediately able to arise and minister to Jesus' needs. When Jesus healed someone they did not feel weak afterwards. The healing was total. And by her act she demonstrated her love, gratitude and devotion. (There was one case where Jesus healing was only partial (Mark 8:24), but that was because He had an important message to teach through it about the slow enlightenment of His disciples).

Matthew 8:15

15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.