Old Testament Genesis 23:1-24:51
New Testament Matthew 8:1-17
Psalm 9:13-20
Proverbs 3:1-6
The Healer
Over the past three weeks our house has endured much sickness. There was a first round and this past week there has been a second round. My wife amazes me as she diagnosis the type of sickness and navigates which medicines will be best at which times. I am slow but learning. All of us have been met with sickness or disease in some degree or another. It is part of this fallen world.
In Matthew 8 this morning we read about Jesus being confronted with various disease and sickness. In verse 2 he is met by a leper. There was no cure for a leper during ancient times and it was highly contagious. You don’t touch a leper. This leper is convinced that Jesus, if he is willing, can make him clean. Jesus is willing and touches his hand and said “I will; be clean.” Immediately the man was cleansed of his leprosy.
Next Jesus is met by a centurion. A centurion is Roman military official who was in charge of 100 Roman soldiers. His servant is suffering terribly from a crippling sickness. The centurion comes to Jesus and humbly requests for Jesus to heal his servant. Jesus is willing again and is ready to go and see the sick servant. The centurion has an extraordinary faith by believing Jesus has the power to heal the man without even seeing him. Jesus marvels at such faith from such a man, who is a Gentile, and then says “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.” Jesus tells the centurion his request has been granted as he has believed. Again as soon as Jesus spoke healing came.
Then Jesus visits the apostle Peter’s house and Jesus saw Peter’s mother-in-law (meaning Peter was married) lying sick with a fever. As soon as he touched her she is fully restored and begins her normal role of hospitality for those who had come to visit.
Matthew has a theological point he is driving home for his readers. As great as all these healings are there is something more important about Jesus. He is not only the one who cures our physical sicknesses, but our sin sickness. Matthew quotes Isaiah 53:4 “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases” to show that Jesus is the remedy for our sin sickness. We all suffer from it. Jesus willingly shed his blood on the cross so everyone would have an opportunity for the medicinal blood to be applied to their heart for immediate and eternal cure. The question is do you have faith like the centurion to believe the cross is sufficient enough to make you clean? Jesus is willing to forgive you of ALL your “illnesses” and “diseases” as it relates to your sin and guilty. All that is necessary is to simply believe and ask Him.