But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell Him of her. Mark 1:30
We were at a time management seminar one time when an interesting speaker made a very effective presentation with some small cardboard tokens. These tokens – a little larger than a toonie – were fairly plain, with a simple decorative edging on each side. On one side was the word ‘Tuit’ in large capital letters. The speaker informed us that by giving us the tokens he had just enabled us to make great strides in all areas of our lives. He told us that because we now had a ’round tuit’, we could proceed with all the things that were holding us back. He said most things get delayed simply because we don’t get a ’round tuit’. It’s the same in our spiritual life, many things are delayed until we eventually get around to it. Nice to see in our text that the disciples didn’t waste any time in telling Jesus about Peter’s sick mother-in-law.
The word ‘anon’ in our text simply means immediately or straightway. The lads didn’t waste any time. This was the first task on their list. They knew that Jesus could heal and they knew that a woman was ill, and they rushed to bring Jesus to her. They had the joy of seeing the woman restored to good health, and they had the comfort of her hospitality to them. It’s a simple lesson, but we could also benefit by bringing needs and problems to the Lord Jesus as soon as ever we can. We don’t need to wait until prayer meeting night, or even until our evening devotions. No, Jesus power is always available, His heart is ever caring, and His blessings are readily dispensed. He doesn’t keep ‘hours’ like an earthly doctor nor require appointments like a Main Street specialist, nor does He ever place us at the back of a queue. Our access to His blessings depends on our haste in approaching Him, not on any reluctance on His part.
Because the disciples acted anon, they received a great blessing. How happy they must have been to see that woman delivered from her illness as quickly as possible. Jesus has no interest in prolonging our difficulties, either. He desires that we come to Him and receive of Him as soon as we can. But we often look to ourselves to resolve our issues, forgetting that Jesus knows and cares more about those things than we do. He understands more than we can even express. And He is willing to bless more than we can even imagine.
When it comes to bringing our problems to Jesus, anon is a great habit to get into. Anon we ask; anon He blesses. – Jim MacIntosh