Jesus heals

Jesus Heals

Matthew 8:14-17

“He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” v. 17b

    Ask many children with a church background who Jesus is and what Jesus does, you will often hear them say, “Jesus saves our sins.”  This answer is incomplete, of course.  They miss the word “from,”  but even more miss the width of Jesus ministry.  Restoring people to health and wholeness was an important part of that ministry.  He was a great teacher, but also a great healer.

    In these verses Jesus restores Peter’s mother-in-law not only to health, but also to her role in society as she serves Jesus. This restoration leads to many people bringing friends and family members who are possessed with demons or are sick.  In response Jesus “cast out the spirits with a word and cured all who were sick.”  

     The gospels are full of stories about Jesus healing ministry–sight restored, withered hands made whole, paralyzed legs strengthened, leprosy cured, the dead revived.  This healing sometimes came with just a word, sometimes with a touch, sometimes at a distance.  Those healings sometimes came to people who expressed faith in Jesus and sometimes at the request of family or friends.  Sometimes the healing created faith.

      What Jesus reveals in these stories of healing is God’s desire for all people to have health and wholeness in their lives.  Illness is not from God.  Sickness is not God’s will for anyone.  Yet God comes among us to experience our life with our infirmities and diseases.  He lives with us in the shadow of the cross, but it’s always God’s will to bring us into the light of the resurrection morning. 

      Many of us have been rescued by medicines timely given or by surgeries and procedures that have enhanced our living.  Our faith, of course, is that God is at work in all of these ordinary or extraordinary events using the wisdom and understanding God has given to many.  We then give thanks for Jesus’ healing ministry as we are “saved”, that is, made well and whole over and over again.

Pray:  Loving God, you provide health and wholeness.  When the body is broken, diseased, and wasting you provide healing and hope.  You set up the cross in the desert with the life-giving serpent and hang on Golgotha’s cross.  You live in the broken places of life.  May we see in those who are sick in body, mind or soul opportunity to minister to you for you live and reign and make all things whole both now and always. Amen.