Journey Through Matthew: The Great Healer

In just a few moments I will be reading verses 16-18, if you would like to start finding those, but this morning we are continuing our Journey Through Matthew, and specifically we are going to be looking at the subject of healing.

One of the greatest ways in which the Church has weakened itself in the last 2000 years has been in the area of healing.

And I am not just talking about physical healing either.

The Church has reached the place where not only the physically ill struggle to be healed but also the spiritually and emotionally ill.

In our society today when someone gets ill what do we do?

We send them to a doctor.

And don’t get me wrong, I am not knocking doctors at all because whether they realize it or not, God has given them a great gift.

The things that God has allowed the human mind to understand and do is amazing.

But the thing about doctors is that they are limited.

Why do you think we have a specialist for everything?

As human beings their brain can only hold so much and they are limited.

Also, when we go to the doctor, typically they ask us the symptoms we are having to try and determine the disease.

If they can figure it out, they give us some medicine and if we are afflicted by a bacteria or virus most of the time it will kill it and we get better.

However, when we start getting into more serious diseases they do what they can, but generally they treat the symptoms in an attempt to keep the disease at bay.

There is no true healing that takes place.

And it is not their fault, they are just limited because they are only human beings.

You see we only have One True Healer in this universe and that is God.

Jesus Christ is our Great Physician and the only one that can truly heal us.

And the reason the Church has lost so much in it’s power to heal is because our faith in God has dwindled.

We don’t see healings like what we are going to read about this morning and we don’t trust God’s ability to heal us.

And, we don’t accept the mode of healing that God provides as well.

We naturally want the people we love and care about to be completely physically healed and for them to be here with us forever.

That’s natural and there is nothing wrong with feeling that way.

But sometimes, death is the mode that God uses to heal.

Because for a child of God, when we leave here we enter into a completely new realm, completely freed from all of the limitations of our human body and human ability.

We are completely and entirely free, and that freedom is the greatest gift any of us could ever receive from God.

However, there are times when God chooses to heal us here and while I do not pretend to be God or understand the way God does things I do know that God does everything for a reason and everything has a purpose.

Ad this morning we are going to be looking at three different examples of Jesus healing people and try and dig into that purpose just a bit.

So, if you have found in your Bible, I’d invite you to stand with me if you are able.

Again, I am going to be reading verses 16-17 as we look at The Great Healer.

Matthew writes . . .

Scripture Focus

Matthew 8:16–17 NIV - Anglicised

16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”

Healing One: The Leper

Now, as you have already probably noticed, I have skipped down to the last two verses of this passage.

And the reason I did so was because of Matthew writes in verse 17, which sets the tone for the entire passage.

Again in verse 17, Matthew writes . . .

Matthew 8:17 NIV - Anglicised

17 This was to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”

And this verse is referring back to one of the prophecies about Jesus that is found in .

The reference comes from verse 4 of , that describes Jesus to the letter.

This is where we also get the reference of the “Suffering Servant” with regard to Jesus.

However, the Hebrew words for “infirmities” and “diseases” is very interesting and tells a very big story about Jesus.

Of course the obvious meaning is with regard to physical disease.

However, the words are also used to refer to Spiritual and emotional sickness as well.

And what Isaiah is saying and Matthew confirming is that Jesus Christ is the One who can heal all kinds of diseases.

Jesus is the healer for all physical disease, all spiritual disease, and all emotional disease.

If we are plagued by any kind of disease Jesus is the solution for that disease.

We may not like the solution, but none the less Jesus will provide the solution.

For proof all we have to do is look back at chapter 4 again . . .

Matthew 4:23

Matthew 4:23 NIV - Anglicised

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Jesus did not discriminate.

There were no diseases or sickness that was too hard for Jesus either.

Also, contrary to popular belief today, you didn’t have to send Jesus all your money for a vile of oil or some water or some sort of cloth to be healed either.

I saw that scam the other morning.

Somebody was on t.v. giving away “healing water” for a donation to their ministry.

Folks, don’t waste your money.

If you want to put your faith in some water I can go in the bathroom and get you some good sink water, or if you prefer spring water we can get into a water jug but there is absolutely no benefit in it at all.

It’s just water.

In fact, when we anoint people and pray over them, there is no power in the oil, in the cloth, or any of us.

The power is in our faith in God to heal.

James tells us that . . .

James 5:16 NIV - Anglicised

16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

We lay hands on people and pray over them out of obedience to God and to confirm our agreement with one another and as a our witness before God . . .

James 5:14–15 NIV - Anglicised

14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

These are not magical formulas or gimmicks, this is sincere prayer offered in faith, nothing more, nothing less.

So, if you have any kind of affliction this morning, whether it be physical, spiritual, or emotional you can come and pray,

You can come an be prayed for.

And God will answer your prayer.

Be prepared though, because the answer may not be exactly what you want, but it will always be what God discerns that you need at the time.

And don’t just come and offer one little prayer and quit.

Remember what we talked about already about asking, knocking, and seeking . . .

Matthew 7:7–8 NIV - Anglicised

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Ask and keep asking.

Knock and keep knocking.

Seek and keep seeking.

I say that because of what happened to King Hezekiah.

The Bible tells us in . . .

Isaiah 38:1 NIV - Anglicised

1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

Isaiah 38:

So, God had already spoken in this situation and Hezekiah was going to die.

However, knew that if he could get in touch with God there may be a chance to change things.

So. . .

Isaiah 38:2–3 NIV - Anglicised

2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Isaiah 38:2-3

And because Hezekiah did not give up and kept on asking, seeking, and knocking . . .

Isaiah 38:4–6 NIV - Anglicised

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

Isaiah 38:4-

Now, will that happen every single time?

No, because sometimes to be honest it is not part of God’s plan or God’s will.

And sometimes our witness after we are gone is stronger than when we were here.

But we don’t know unless we ask.

Which is exactly what our leper in did . . .

Going back to verse one . . .

Matthew 8:1–4 NIV - Anglicised

1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Okay, so our first healing is a man with leprosy.

Now, leprosy existed like it does today, we know it as Hansen’s Disease, but in Jesus’ day any kind of skin disease (eczema, psoriasis, etc…) was labeled as a form of leprosy.

So, we don’t know which brand or version this guy had and really it doesn’t matter because the result is exactly the same.

Jesus heals him.

What is significant here is the fact that Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.

This was a big no-no in Jewish culture.

By touching this man at all, Jesus was “defiling himself”

But you know what, Jesus didn’t really care and to be honest we shouldn’t care to get a little dirty either.

Now, I am not talking about bellying up to the bar with the alcoholic or sitting in the crack house with the drug addict.

What I am talking about is interacting with people, with our modern day “lepers of society” that we see everyday.

I am talking about helping the sick and the hungry.

I am talking about doing for the least of these, that Jesus talks about in .

Not being afraid of what others will think, what they will say.

But actually loving people and showing some compassion on them.

Actually helping them a bit.

That’s the point here.

It’s not really that Jesus healed the man, we know he can do that.

It’s not even so much about Jesus telling him to go the priest and not run around town telling everybody-that was just to clear the man ceremonially and to confirm that he was healed.

It is about having compassion on people.

Which is exactly the same thing with the second healing . . .

Healing Two: The Centurion's Servant

Matthew 8:5–13 NIV - Anglicised

5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralysed and in terrible suffering.” 7 Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.” 8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Now, this passage is quite a bit longer than the last but the reality is the same.

Jesus heals because he sees two things in this centurion, faith and compassion.

This guy is a high ranking Roman Officer who was in charge of about 100 soldiers.

But yet, he humbles himself before Jesus to ask for a servant, a slave to be healed.

Even to go as far as to tell Jesus . . .

Matthew 8:8 NIV - Anglicised

8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Matthew 8:8

Because he knows that the Jews find it offensive to even be in the house of a Gentile.

We don’t think about it but this guy was humble.

His faith in Jesus is so great that he knows that if Jesus just says the word, the boy would be healed.

Matthew 8:10 NIV - Anglicised

10 When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

Which is really an insult to the Jews.

Israel is the birthplace of faith and Jesus is saying this Roman, this Gentile has more faith than those where faith was born.

And one other thing that we need to touch on is what Jesus says in verses 11-12

Matthew 8:11–12 NIV - Anglicised

11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

And if we are not careful we will miss Jesus’ point here.

Those from the East and the West that will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, are those who follow Jesus by faith.

However, the subjects of the kingdom that will be thrown outside into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth are those who think they have “a right to the throne.”

These are the ones who think that their status as Jews grant them some entrance into heaven.

These are the ones today who think because their parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents were Christians that they had an inside track.

These are those who think because they go to church or do good things, or give lots of money that they have paid their way into heaven.

Folks, we can’t pay our way…Jesus already did that.

All we can do is place our faith in Him.

But this is an important point that Jesus is making here and we had better not miss it.

Then the final healing . . .

Healing Three: Peter’s Mother in Law

Matthew 8:14–15 NIV - Anglicised

14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

Matthew 8:14-15

All Mother-In-Law jokes aside, think about just for a second what transpired here.

Jesus heals this woman and immediately she gets up and gets to work.

She didn’t lay around resting in the pew for a few years.

She didn’t go out bragging about everything but not really doing anything .

She didn’t do good for a while and then go back to the same old same old.

Jesus heals her and immediately, she is completely healed and she gets up and gets to work doing what?

Waiting on him.

She got up and got to work for the Lord.

God will heal us and lots of time we will do the opposite.

We will say things like “I had better wait and see if it is for real.”

Or, “I’m going to rest a little while.”

Or, we get really excited and do well, but sooner or later forget what God had done for us and before we know it are right back in the same situation.

God’s healing is complete, but so is God’s calling on our lives as well.

If God is going to make it possible, shouldn’t we do what what we’ve been called to do?

Altar Call

So, that is where we are at this morning.

We’ve seen three examples of God’s healing power.

God’s complete healing power.

The question is do you believe God can heal your illness?

Whether it is physical, spiritual or emotional, do you believe God can heal?

And can you accept whatever mode of healing Go uses?

That’s probably the bigger question.

You have heard the testimony of three this morning, what decision will you make based on what you have heard?

Will you be obedient to God’s call or will you continue to do the same thing?

The altar is open, the choice is yours, what will it be this morning?

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