Healing Our Diseases

Jesus heals, doctors do not.

That sounds a bit like click-bait, and perhaps it is. But it is also true.

Doctors do not actually heal. When they treat a patient, they try to create the conditions that best allow the body to heal, but they cannot actually heal it.

In Matthew 9, Jesus will refer to Himself as a Physician. But He demonstrates His healing power before He declares it. Unlike doctors, Jesus does heal: He created the human body and He can alter from a state of disease to a state of health.

The timing of Jesus’ healing power’s demonstration is interesting and not insignificant.

He had just completed the delivery of His manifesto to His followers. His expectations for them were high and not easily met; they were counter-cultural even in their day and they were counter-intuitive, requiring the intentional redirection of His followers’ very nature. Not easy stuff. And what was the benefit of all this effort? Jesus answers the question before we figure out if it is a question we are allowed to ask (we are).

In modern terms, we may look at Jesus’ benefits package, as it were, and prioritize His retirement plan—Heaven—but He highlighted His healthcare services.

His Ability Is Assumed, 1-4

Matthew 8:1–4 NKJV

1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

“If You Are Willing”

The question on this leper’s mind was whether or not Jesus was willing to heal him, not if Jesus was able to heal him.

Leprosy Examined

Leprosy is not something we typically run into and few really understand it. Don’t worry, no pictures today.

Leprosy was a wasting disease that destroyed flesh, causing it die

It sometimes killed parts of the body which then basically fell off

It was common for a leper to have multiple oozing sores; they wore bandages and stunk

Leprosy was generally deemed incurable and fatal

Leprosy was highly contagious

Lepers were outcasts in Jewish society by design and of necessity, per the God-given Law of Moses

Interestingly, though leprosy was incurable and almost always fatal, God proscribed sacrifices for someone healed to offer in Leviticus 14…God knew that He could heal leprosy.

Leprosy is a type of sin in the Bible. It is a fatal contagion we all carry and God alone can heal.

I Am Willing

Jesus owned the fact that it was a question of willingness not ability. And He was willing.

His Presence Is Optional, 5-13

Matthew 8:5–13 NKJV

5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” 7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Not only does Jesus have the ability to heal, He does not have to be physically present to do so.

This did not come up frequently in His day, but it has been important ever day since His ascension.

His Process Is Instant, 14-15

This is a short account and it teaches us two facts. One of those facts is less important than the other, but we usually notice it first…and sometimes exclusively.

Matthew 8:14–15 NKJV

14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. 15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.

The two facts are these:

Peter was married (this is the more obvious, but less important fact)

Jesus’ healing is instant. Peter’s mother in law went from a fevered bed to serving with zero recovery time. We miss this fact, though it is more important. If we reflect on all of the accounts of Jesus’ healing, we are confronted over and over again with this fact…and we often overlook it.

His Power Is Complete, 16-17

Again brevity in this passage causes us to read right by something that is important:

Jesus heals physical ailments

Jesus also heals spiritual ailments

Sometimes spiritual ailments have physical symptoms, either broken bodies or broken minds, and physical doctors are unable to do much beyond treating or masking the symptoms.

Conclusion

Healing is what He does, not what He did.

We live in time when doctors, or other trained medical providers are seen as one of the most essential elements of life as we know it. But are they really essential?

James 5:14–16 NKJV

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

I do not want to take anything away from doctors, nor suggest you don’t see one if you need to. God has blessed us and allowed us to live in a time and place where we can receive quality healthcare. That said, we also should not leave Jesus out of the equation: He, alone, can heal.