JESUS’ MINISTRY AT HOUSES
Jesus made use of houses as part of public service and preaching:
1. While Jesus was at Simon Peter’s house in Capernaum, people brought their sick people. He cured them all, including Peter’s mother-in-law (Mt 8:14-17; Mk 1:29-34; Lk 4:38-41).
2. After calling Matthew to be his disciple, Jesus dined at his house with other publicans. There he justified his mingling with sinners (Mt 9:9-13).
3. At the invitation of Simon the Pharisee, he went to his house as a guest and forgave the sins of a woman who anointed his feet (Lk 7:36-50).
4. Jesus went to the house of Zacchaeus and facilitated his conversion (Lk 19:1-10).
5. Towards the end of his ministry, Jesus went as guest at the house of Simon, the leper, in Bethany. He let a woman anoint his head with oil and justified her action when Judas Iscariot criticized her for spending big money on it (Mt 26:6-13).
There were also other houses where Jesus visited preaching and resolving the issues of people who were in distress. The houses were places of intimacy compared to synagogues and public places.