Place of Healing
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
Matthew 4:23-25
I think there’s a bunch of confusion about the healing ministry of Jesus. At one end of the spectrum some try to pretend the healings don’t happen at all, they are just ‘colour’ in the story. On the other hand, these healings are the high point of Jesus’ ministry - they are what He came to do.
And this doesn’t stop at Jesus. How people interpret Jesus’ ministry often leads to how they think of the role of the Church and Christian’s today. For instance, de-emphasis the healings and you will often land at a very moralistic/teaching Jesus. Overemphasis the healings and you will usually believe that Jesus came to bless us materially/physically.
But as you may have gathered. Neither of these positions is right. Jesus really did heal people but His primary purpose wasn’t to fix people’s health. Instead, these miracles serve three purposes.
Firstly, they point us to the heart of Jesus. His desire is to restore people, to make things better. Secondly, they offer proof that Jesus is who He says He is, for only God could heal like this. Finally, they give us a taste of the creation to come. Jesus is restoring all things and it begins with these little crumbs. But these healings are nothing compared to the total restoration in the Kingdom to come.
Here’s the take-away. Keeping Jesus’ healing ministry in its rightful place is important for us today. It helps us to be balanced in our expectations of Jesus. Who, doesn’t promise us healing now, but whose healings point us to where our hope should truly lie. That is, in a God who is compassionate and merciful, who is truly there and who is restoring all things through His Son.
For Today:
Pray:
Matthew 4:23-25
I think there’s a bunch of confusion about the healing ministry of Jesus. At one end of the spectrum some try to pretend the healings don’t happen at all, they are just ‘colour’ in the story. On the other hand, these healings are the high point of Jesus’ ministry - they are what He came to do.
And this doesn’t stop at Jesus. How people interpret Jesus’ ministry often leads to how they think of the role of the Church and Christian’s today. For instance, de-emphasis the healings and you will often land at a very moralistic/teaching Jesus. Overemphasis the healings and you will usually believe that Jesus came to bless us materially/physically.
But as you may have gathered. Neither of these positions is right. Jesus really did heal people but His primary purpose wasn’t to fix people’s health. Instead, these miracles serve three purposes.
Firstly, they point us to the heart of Jesus. His desire is to restore people, to make things better. Secondly, they offer proof that Jesus is who He says He is, for only God could heal like this. Finally, they give us a taste of the creation to come. Jesus is restoring all things and it begins with these little crumbs. But these healings are nothing compared to the total restoration in the Kingdom to come.
Here’s the take-away. Keeping Jesus’ healing ministry in its rightful place is important for us today. It helps us to be balanced in our expectations of Jesus. Who, doesn’t promise us healing now, but whose healings point us to where our hope should truly lie. That is, in a God who is compassionate and merciful, who is truly there and who is restoring all things through His Son.
For Today:
- How have you interpreted Jesus’ miracles in the past?
- Is your ultimate hope in healing now?
- Reflect on how good Jesus’ restoration of all things will be.
Pray:
- Praise the Father for His compassion and mercy on sinners.
- Give thanks for the Son who came to restore our broken world.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others put your hope in the restoration to come.
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