Matthew 8:2,3—A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him and said, “Lord if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
I recently engaged in a study of Jesus healing in the gospels as part of preaching through the book of Matthew. Healing was a huge part of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus healed people because He loved them and out of obedience to the mission God gave Him. His miracles brought glory to God from those who witnessed or heard about His actions with the exception of the religious leaders who resented Him for healing on the Sabbath.
Every time the sick or demon-possessed are mentioned in the NT in the presence of Jesus, He healed them. Jesus touched all kinds of needy people: Jews, Gentiles, old, young, those born with afflictions, those stricken w/ illness later in life, the demon-possessed etc. (Mat.4:23,24; 9:35,
Whenever healing did not take place in the gospels it was caused either by a lack of faith (Mat.
Jesus commanded His followers to heal those they encountered who were sick or demon-possessed in the towns they entered (Mat.10:1,8). After He ascended to heaven, healing continued to be a significant aspect of the Apostles ministry. They were effective because He gave them His authority. Healing always takes place under the context of God’s authority. Nowhere does Scripture say God has pulled His authority from us so that we cannot experience His power today!
One of the most potent ways we can witness to people in our community is to minister to those who are sick in the powerful name of Jesus. Is it possible that we do not pray for others to be healed because we are afraid God might not respond? Praying with someone for healing can be a tremendous expression of love. If the Holy Spirit gives us the freedom to pray for someone afflicted we should do so. Whether or not the healing takes place is not up to us but to God. I prayed for my mother to be healed and she died. I prayed for my son to be healed and God miraculously continues to keep him alive. While I may not always understand God’s plan or purpose I can confidently rest assured that He knows what is best.
There are compelling reasons why Jesus healed all who came to Him. We need to follow His example. It is easy to criticize the Political Correctness (PC) movement. Yet, are we guilty of emphasizing Spiritual Correctness (SC)? "Lord if you are willing" is the pious prayer of the saint for the stricken. But often I wonder if that prayer could really be translated, "Lord, I don’t want to look bad, I don’t want to let this person down and I certainly don’t want You to look weak, so if this person isn’t healed, obviously You were not willing." This is hardly the stuff of faith! Are you willing to trust God to work through you to bring healing in the lives of those hurting around you? Then boldly go before the throne and ask! God may use you to reach a town, a city, a nation whose real sickness is the need to know Jesus!
Inspiration
