Jesus' Healing Ministry

The Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ

A couple a months ago we reviewed the Sermon On The Mount which is Matthew’s overview of a typical sermon from Jesus on ethics and behavior.

Yet there was more to Jesus ministry just words about how we ought to live, or prophecy or judgment. A large part of His ministry involved walking among people like you and me…  healing the sick, casting out demons, restoring eyesight to the blind and hearing to the deaf.

In chapters 8 & 9  Matthew has grouped together a number of examples of Jesus healing ministry interspersed with short examples of how people reacted and responded to what the saw and experienced. There are a number of different themes running through these examples… such as his compassion, His care for those who were outcast. But I would like to draw to your attention to healings as examples of Jesus authority over body, life, forces of nature, forces of the spirit realm, authority over sin and authority over death… and talk briefly about what that authority means for us today.

Matt 8:1-4—Jesus heals a leper

The Jews had lots of man-made rules about leprosy that went way beyond scriptural rules of quarantine. The leper was not just exiled from the community… he was hated,  he was sin personified, people would throw stones at them not just to keep them away but to show contempt. Just by getting within 6 feet of a leper Jesus was breaking the regulations of the Jews… let alone touching the man.

But with the theme of authority in mind notice two features in the record:

• The leprous man worshipped and addressed Jesus as Kurios – the supreme authority. He knew Jesus had the power to cleanse him if He desired. Which of course Jesus did.
• After cleansing him Jesus sent him to the priests to be officially recognized as cleansed according to the rites outlined in Lev 13. This healing would go on record as a testimony of the cleansing and of Jesus power and authority to cleanse.

Matt 8:5-13—Jesus heals a gentile soldier’s servant

This man had a military background… a Centurian understood authority and he knew it when he saw it. This section is the most obvious recognition of Jesus act of healing as an expression of His authority.

However, let’s never consider that Jesus did what He did to show off His power (however this is the effect they have)… these are acts of love… Jesus’ heart went out to these people in their needs… remember the people came to Him beseeching Him for help… after all He had spoken to them of love, care. Compassion… how could He respond other that how He did?

Without the healing part of Jesus ministry all we would have would be a rather cold lesson in ethics and proper behavior. Here we see the emotion of our creator in action.

Matt 8:14-17—Jesus heals many

Not only does Jesus heal the outcasts and the unclean gentiles… He also heals those within his inner circle of disciples and followers. Plus, here we get the first mention of casting out of demons. But what we want to take some time looking at here is the quotation of Isaiah 53:4 which reminds us that the healing ministry of Christ is a fulfillment of prophecy. But there is more…

Isaiah 53:4-5 also introduces a connection between Christ’s sacrifice as being for our sins/transgressions as well as that which makes possible our healing.

In case you were thinking that making such a connection is reading too much into a poetic analogy… Here are several NT verses that connect sin and sickness: James 5:14-16 / I Cor 11:24-32 / 1 Peter 2:24

Is Our Sickness Caused By Some Sin In Our Lives?

These verses lead some to conclude that all illness is caused by sin… and that repentance from that sin is necessary for healing. I think from scripture we can say that illness caused by sin is always a possibility but we cannot say that every (or even most) sickness is caused by personal sin.

For example: Paul had an ailment he begged God to heal multiple times which was never healed… but there is no record of any sin either repented of or unrepented of. In John 9:3 we have Jesus own testimony regarding a man who was blind that there was no sin associated with it.

So, when seeking God’s healing you should definitely consider that sin may be involved… but not assume that there has to be some be some sin… and that you need to keep searching until we find it.

What Then Is The Connection Between Sin & Sickness?

One: The physical is an analogy for the spiritual. Sickness pictures our  broken and dysfunctional spiritual state…  healing pictures our restoration and redemption to a state of spiritual wholeness and wellness. This is that manner I think 1 Peter 2:24 intends.

Two: Healing, or specifically, the request for healing, is act of faith on your part as well as an act of submission & acceptance of God’s authority.  This second point is the connection I want to expand upon for the rest of the healings in Matthew 8 & 9…

• James 5:14 a person seeking healing comes to the elders (authority) who pray and anoint in the NAME of the Lord (Kurios)… when you do something in the name of you are calling upon their authority.
• 1 Cor 11:24 people fall sick and even die when they do not show proper respect for the body of the Kurios … the master and supreme authority.

Q: if I come to the elders in faith and submission to God’s authority will I be healed?

A: God clearly does not heal everybody… consider again the example of Paul

Q: if I am not healed is it because I lack faith? Or, am insufficiently submissive to God’s authority?

A: No, again refer to the example of Paul. God had a greater purpose in mind for Paul and his ailment had a part to play in it.

Consider this: submission to God’s authority means we accept His decision with faith… meaning we believe it is for our greater good and moving us toward His goal of creating His mind and character in us so that we may be perfected and raised in glory.

Matt 8:18-22 People respond to Jesus

Each set of healings is followed by examples of various peoples and mindsets responding to what they see happening around them.

• Over-eager/impulsive – Jesus had the ability to read and discern the hearts of people… seems He knew this man’s was getting swept up in the emotions of what was going on and not counting the costs… seeing only the glory and power in Christ’s healing and not considering the sacrifices that following Jesus words would require… not a good combo for the long haul.
• Under-eager/hesitant - wants to tend to family business first (clearly sees that sacrifices are being called for)… interestingly Jesus coaxes him to go for it, follow me… but you have to be all in…  totally focused on developing the mind of God… don’t put it off for a better day.

Matt 8:23-27—Jesus heals/calms the storm

Extension of Jesus authority over nature “the wind and waves OBEY Him”… obey His authority

Matt 8:28-34—Jesus heals two demon-possessed gentiles

Extension of Jesus authority over spirit realm. Notice the demons speak of the “appointed time”. They know they have only the set allotted time that God the supreme authority has allowed them. Satan knows that at some point his allotted time to exercise authority over the world will be up. What authority them have is subordinate to greater authority of Christ and the Father.

So, we have seen Jesus supreme/divine authority over health, body, the forces of nature, the forces of the spirit realm… what’s left?  Two biggies… SIN and DEATH.

Matt 9:1-8—Jesus heals a paralyzed man

In verse 6 we read yet another pointed comment about Jesus authority. This time, it is His authority to forgive sins… something highly important to each and every one of us.

An important little piece of social context adds some oomph to what’s going on here. The Jewish people firmly believed that sickness was caused by sin (refer back to John 9:3). When they saw someone who was sick they just assumed there was sin involved.

1. Jesus sees the man’s faith but instead of healing him Jesus forgives the man’s sin. Jesus knew the hearts of people so perhaps He could see this was a case where sin was involved… or perhaps He knew the man was worried about what sin he might have committed to cause his paralysis.
2. Jesus knows the Pharisees do not accept that He has the authority to forgive sin. So to show that He does have this authority He heals the man of his sickness.
3. It could be that Jesus was saying “If you believe that sickness is caused by sin… then how could I heal this man unless I had the authority to first forgive the sin?”

How Do People Respond To What They Are Seeing And Hearing?

One reaction is to start comparing Him to what they are expecting a religious person to act like…

Matt 9:9-13 Having demonstrated His authority to forgive sin… and heal sin… Jesus shows how this can be the beginning of a new life. He calls a man who would by all the popular definitions of the day be considered a big time sinner… Matthew a tax collector… to begin a new life.

Matthews response is different from the two we read earlier in Matt 8:18-22… Jesus could know Matthew’s heart and mind as much as those other two men. I assume therefore that Matthew had considered what was at stake, perhaps he had listened to Jesus public preaching, seen the healings and was wondering… should I? could I? simply get up and walk away from my life and start anew? And when Christ came to him (not the other way around as previous examples) and said follow me Matthew did not hesitate.

Vs 12 similar to salt and light teaching – if I am going to help sinners I have to be willing to talk with them. If I am to persuade them I have to engage in conversation with them. Note: Jesus did not dine with drunkards and sinners and get drunk along with them. The Pharisees policy was to shun such people and avoid all contact with them… and comparing Him to themselves they asked “how can Jesus be righteous if He does not act likewise?”

Matt 9:14-17 next Jesus is compared to John. “why don’t you act like religious people such as John? You know… that good old-time religion we are used to?” … Answer: solid religious discipline will not go away, but right now is a time of joy rather than sorrow… Furthermore, with my ministry we are heading into new territory…. and then He gives them two analogies about flexibility during a time of transition from the old to the new. (wine fermenting in wineskins)

Third Set Of Healings

The issue of Jesus authority comes up, again and again, we see differing responses. The crowds appreciate and rejoice in His compassion and His power. But the leadership of the Jews is growing increasingly antagonistic towards His authority… probably feeling threatened and judged… they are unable to deny the power… so, they denounce the source of His authority as demonic.

Matt 9:18-26 resurrects a dead girl extending His authority over death and life… 

Matt 9:27-34 Jesus heals a blind man and a mute man vs 34 they acknowledge there is a power and authority there but they denounce it as demonic.

Matt 9:35-10:1 Jesus Intends to Pass Authority On To His Followers

In the flesh Jesus was finite… God’s purpose is to work through humans to continue ministering to the world… Jesus grants authority to the disciples… this authority to heal is later passed to the church as seen in the book of Acts… and finally, to the church today as seen in James 5:14-16

Healing in the church is still a matter that focuses our attention on the authority of Jesus Christ… except that now we bring our sicknesses to the elders of the church who offer prayer an anointing in the NAME (meaning in the authority of) Jesus Christ… the Kirios… the Lord.

We are not submitting ourselves to the elder himself but to him as a representative of Christ. Our submission to God’s authority means we accept His decision with faith… like the leprous man we know He has the power if He is willing… and if He is not willing it is because He is working us toward His goal… creating His mind and character in us so that we may be perfected and raised in glory.

Jesus Offers Us Meaning & Purpose In Life

When we read through the records of Jesus’ ministry we see that He did not just talk. He did more than giving sermons about God, KOG, righteousness or prophecy. He spent a great deal of His time healing… putting His compassion and out-flowing love into real actions. Seriously, if He had not done so would His words of instruction have been as powerful?

He met people in pain / in sorrow/outcast and lonely / deceived and in the grip of demons… the Pharisees offered them nothing, offering only burdens, guilt, and fear.

Jesus met people desperate for meaning in life, wanting hope, and He gave it to them. This task of offering people hope, purpose, and meaning for life He has also passed on to the Church of God. May we serve Him well.