Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.” When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour. When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him. That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.”
Matthew 8:1-17 NLT
Jesus is the Healer. He healed those with skin disease, those in pain, those paralyzed, those with fevers, and those possessed with demons. He did all this, only using the power of His words. The centurion (Roman officer) realized the authority Jesus had; he understood that Christ could heal with only the power of His words; the centurion trusted in the authority of Jesus.
Christ didn't heal every disease in His day because His mission was to seek and save the lost; this is bigger than our physical ills (as terrible as those are). As His followers, we are called to continue His healing ministry through prayer, listening, medicine, and more. We befriend the outcast, fight for the oppressed, and tell the world the Good News of Jesus. Where is God in the suffering? God is in YOU and all those who love Him.
The healing ministry of Jesus points to His ultimate mission: His death and resurrection ensure that there will be a day where there will be no more pain, no more disease, no more death, no more sorrow. Jesus Himself died in agony; He knows our pain. We can run to Him in our hurt and know that He understands and has the power to heal. He loves us. He lives in us and He makes us stronger for the storms of this world, and it gives us secure hope that He is coming back and will wipe every tear from our eyes.
How has Jesus helped you through a time of hurt or pain? How can you help others and point them to Jesus?
