The whole town gathered at the door... -Mark 1:33, NIV
She shut the door.
When she sat and continued mingling at the party once again, someone else knocked. She opened the door and found a young girl whipped, beaten, and tortured because her parents owed money to the Roman legions who protected their restaurant. The little girl heard of a Rabbi that could help her pay their debt, and she needed His help. It was so sad for her, so sad! Heartbreaking and sad!
But she had a party to attend.
Then, as soon she turned around, someone grabbed her hair from her window. Another person accidentally broke a vase she bought on her last holiday in Italy. Then they started clamoring in Latin, “I need a restored marriage!”, or in Greek, “My son needs to be free!” Those clamors grew intense and even more intense. People from nearby towns flocked in droves. They were desperate. They couldn't stand the oppression that life has given them —they needed a Savior to set them free!
For Peter's mother-in-law, these petitions were overwhelming. The sound of chains and clashing cymbals was only too much for someone who opened her eyes for the first time in weeks at the touch of the Rabbi. She had no choice: she had to call Him to action.
He was eating, talking with friends. He quickly noticed the boiling crowd. Some looked like zombies, others like squirming serpents. A few couldn't walk. A few couldn't talk. Another batch couldn't stop crying. They needed something to get them through.
They needed Him to open the door.