Healing - General

There are many times that Jesus’ healing doesn’t fit into a nice, neat category.

But that doesn’t mean they are not important.

Simple Healings

Have you heard of the cobbler’s children who had no shoes?

It’s amazing, but sometimes those who have the greatest access receive the least.

But not with Jesus.

Matthew 8:14–15 NKJV

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

A nice, simple healing.

Peter’s Mother-in-Law is sick, so Jesus heals her.

It doesn’t say Peter asked for her to be healed,

Just that Jesus saw that she was sick, and He healed her.

Unlike getting over something today, Peter’s Mother-in-Law didn’t need a few days to recover.

She immediately got up and served them.

Matthew 14:34–36 NKJV

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

Matthew 15:29–31 NKJV

Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.

By this time Jesus’ reputation had spread.

All He has to do is show up and they come from all around seeking healing.

But as we’ve seen, Jesus’ healings can be controversial.

Controversial Healings

Matthew 12:9–10 NKJV

Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

Jesus visiting a synagogue is nothing special.

But here, Jesus has a purpose.

Seeing a man with a withered hand, Jesus asks a question.

Not a simple question, but a pointed one.

He was looking for a reason to accuse them.

We don’t think of God “setting people up”.

But God did it with Pharoah, the king of Heshbon, and king Nebuchadnezzar, why not the leaders of this synagogue?

It wasn’t that Jesus was setting these leaders up for a fall,

But to show them the error of their understanding of Sabbath.

Matthew 12:11–12 NKJV

Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Jesus gives them an example from their own lives.

They would save a fallen animal on Sabbath, contrary to the rabbinical laws.

Why would they not save a fallen person on the Sabbath?

Matthew 12:13 NKJV

Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

Jesus heals on the Sabbath,

This is not the only time Jesus has healed on the Sabbath,

But here we see that Jesus did so specifically to call out the hypocrisy of the synagogue leaders.

Compare this event with the one in Matthew 15:21

Matthew 15:21–22 NKJV

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

Jesus is traveling in the region of Tyre and Sidon, when a Canaanite woman cries out for Mercy.

She used similar language to others that Jesus had healed.

She asks for mercy.

She refers to Jesus with a Messianic title.

She is asking not for herself, but for her daughter.

So what does Jesus do?

Matthew 15:23 NKJV

But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

He ignored her.

Even the disciples urge Him to get rid of her.

Why would Jesus ignore a woman in such pain?

Matthew 15:24 NKJV

But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

She was not from Israel, but Canaan.

Jesus went out of His way to show the leaders of the synagogue of the priority of doing good, even if it conflicted with the rabbinical teaching.

So why not do good here?

Jesus wasn’t sent to save the Gentiles, but the Jews.

To our ears today, this seems quite rude.

But salvation comes through the Jews.

Jesus was a good Jewish boy.

Besides, it was not yet God’s time for the message to go to the Gentiles.

So Jesus brushes her off.

Matthew 15:25–26 NKJV

Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

This woman is persistent.

She just keeps going, “Lord, help me!”

And how does Jesus react?

He compares her request to throwing the children’s food to the dogs.

This would definitely generate an HR complaint today.

Not only is He denying her help because of her race. Racist.

He’s calling her a dog, Speciesist.

These is not the Jesus most of us learned about in Sunday School, is it?

But this woman is not done yet.

Matthew 15:27 NKJV

And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

Does the woman storm off after being insulted?

Does she go to the papers with an expose on the cruelty of this new prophet?

No, she makes a simple point.

I don’t need a meal from the table, just the crumbs.

She takes Jesus comparison, and turns the tables, after a sort.

No, it is not right for the children’s bread to be thrown to the dogs.

But the dogs do get to eat the crumbs from the table.

No, it is not right for the miracles for the Jews to be given to Gentiles,

But can’t we get some of the crumbs?

Matthew 15:28 NKJV

Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Isn’t it amazing how often the faith of the Gentiles is shown to be greater than that of the Jews?

Her faith was great.

She approached a Jew, begging for a healing.

She persisted in the face of Jesus’ rejection.

She didn’t take His words as an insult,

But used them to make her point.

For this reason, she received her desire,

And her daughter was healed.

Healing His Enemies

The last healing I want to deal with today is quite unique.

Luke 22:47–48 NKJV

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

When Judas betrays Jesus, he came with an armed multitude

The chief priests and elders finally had someone who would turn on Jesus.

And they were taking no chances, that’s probably why then sent a “great multitude with swords and clubs”.

Luke 22:49–50 NKJV

When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

When they attempted to seize Jesus, one of his disciples cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest.

This should not be a surprise.

Someone comes to your house and lays hands on someone, we tend to react, often violently.

But notice how Jesus reacts.

Luke 22:51 NKJV

But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.

Jesus tells his disciples to permit the arrest.

He even goes so far as to heal the ear of the man attacked by his disciple.

But in Matthew’s account, we read even more.

Matthew 26:52–53 NKJV

But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?

We often think we need to defend Jesus,

Forgetting that He is more than capable of defending Himself.

What is a dozen rag-tag disciples with a couple of swords compare to TWELVE LEGIONS of angels?

A legion is a military division with approximately 6,000 foot soldiers and 700 calvary.

That’s 72,000 soldiers and 8,400 calvary!

I don’t think Jesus needed the disciple’s help.

But there’s more to it than what Jesus needed.

Matthew 26:54–56 NKJV

How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

By jumping in to defend Jesus, the disciple was actually interfering with the fulfillment of Scripture.

How often have we jumped in to defend Jesus, or at least our understanding of Him,

And in doing so, interfered with the plans of God?

Don’t be mistaken, God’s will will be done.

But when we step in and interfere without getting direction fro Him first, we may be the ones who loose.

Judges 4:8–9 NKJV

And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!” So she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Conclusion

We have a habit of seeing Jesus as we expect Him to be.

We see the kind and caring man who fulfills our desires.

You know, the guy who hangs out with children and sheep.

The Lord who is not too busy to care for our needs.

The God who heals the multitudes.

But after reading about these healings, we should see more than that.

He is the Lord who challenges our assumptions and does what we do not expect.

We see a Savior who is focused on His tasks, but not without compassion.

We see a man who not only stands before His enemies, but is willing to heal them as well.

The question we must all ask ourselves is,

Does Jesus fulfill our expectations of Him, or are we fulfilling His expectations of us?

Are we following Jesus, or attempting to lead Him where we want Him to go?

When asked to do what is contrary to our nature, do we submit or do we impede?

What would Deborah say about our actions?

Will you receive eternal glory in heaven for your actions?

Or will the glory go to someone else, because you would not follow where Jesus led?