“A fractured family is an opportunity for humility and forgiveness to flourish.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 5, 2025
When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. Matthew 8:14-15
I’ve often wondered what Peter’s thoughts were in this moment. Did he hesitate before bringing Jesus home? Did he worry what his mother-in-law might say, how she might act, or whether she would approve of his newfound teacher? Or was he simply concerned for her health and eager for Jesus to meet her? The way we see our mothers-in-law shapes our entire relationship with them. Do you see your mother-in-law with compassion, or do you see her as competition? Your mother-in-law is meant to complement your marriage, not compete with it. Peter did a smart thing as a son-in-law: he invited Jesus into his home and into their relationship. As a result, Jesus healed his mother-in-law so she was free to serve Him and others.
I remember the early years of my own marriage, when I viewed my mother-in-law’s suggestions as criticisms rather than the offerings of wisdom they often were. Her different way of parenting wasn’t a commentary on my inadequacy—it was simply the method that had served her family for decades. Her questions about our finances weren’t intrusions but expressions of care, born from years of navigating her own family’s economic challenges. It is out of an attitude of compassion that you are able to illustrate to your mother-in-law the love of Jesus. If you resist her interest in your family, reject her suggestions, or deny her access to your home, you dishonor her in the process. We all have our quirks, but the Lord works these out with levity, love, and long-suffering. Compassion compensates. Think about the journey your mother-in-law has traveled. She raised the person you’ve chosen to love for a lifetime. She kissed the scraped knees, stayed up through fevers, and likely prayed countless prayers for the child who now shares your name, your bed, your life. She navigated her own marriage—whether beautifully or brokenly—and carries the wisdom and wounds of that experience. Her life story deserves honor, even when her delivery might lack finesse.
Make sure you are reaching out to your mother-in-law on a regular basis. Perhaps you invite her over for her grandchildren’s birthdays, school events, or sporting activities. How are you intentionally engaging your in-laws so they are able to do life with your little ones? It is out of a multi-generational community that your offspring gain perspective from their grandparents. Honor them as models for your children, who one day will honor their own in-laws. Ruth lived this out in uncomfortable circumstances. “Boaz replied, ‘I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before'” (Ruth 2:11). Ruth’s devotion to Naomi wasn’t just about family obligation—it was a testament to her character that caught Boaz’s attention. In the same way, how we treat our in-laws speaks volumes about who we are. It’s easy to love those who love us back perfectly, but the true measure of our character is how we love those whose love languages differ from our own, whose expectations may confuse us, and whose needs may occasionally inconvenience us.
You may be concerned that your mother-in-law does not know the Lord. This is a reasonable fear. But it’s also an opportunity for you to be a righteous representative of your Savior. When she sees Jesus in your attitude and actions, she will be drawn by the Holy Spirit to know Him as you know Him. A fractured family is an opportunity for faith to flourish. I’ve seen this personally—how a consistent demonstration of grace, even in the face of misunderstanding, gradually softens hearts that once seemed impenetrable. The mother-in-law who once refused to step foot in church eventually asking what made your home different, what gave your marriage its resilience, what brought peace in the midst of life’s storms. Help facilitate faith and healing in your family dynamic by keeping Christ at the center. Ask how you can serve your mother-in-law in ways she wants to be served. Do you invite her on family outings, extended trips, or over the weekend to stay with your children? Pray your mother-in-law becomes like your mother, and you like her child.
Consider the blessing in Paul’s words: “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too” (Romans 16:13). What a beautiful picture—a spiritual son finding a mother in someone else’s biological mother. This is God’s grand design: that families would expand beyond biological boundaries, that love would multiply rather than divide, that grace would bridge what differences might otherwise separate. Your mother-in-law isn’t perfect. Neither are you. But in Christ, imperfect people create beautiful, redemptive relationships that point to His perfect love. Invite Jesus into your home, as Peter did, and watch how His presence transforms not just your mother-in-law, but your perspective of her as well. Love looks for the good and helps make all things a little better.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, grow my heart of love to love insecure and hurting family members, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
How can you best show compassion to your mother-in-law with your attitude and actions?
Related Reading
Ruth 3:16; Micah 7:6; Luke 12:53; Ephesians 5:31
Worship Resource
Vince Gill/Allison Krause: Go Rest High on That Mountain
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