When Jesus was asked by the imprisoned and doubting John the Baptist whether or not He was the Messiah, King of the eternal kingdom of God, He responded by referencing the prophet Isaiah’s signs of the coming kingdom.
4 Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news. Matthew 11:4-5 (HCSB)
It was a unique report. Some of the prophets in the Old Testament are recorded as having performed physical miracles to attest to their credentials and testify to the presence of God with them. But none of these came anywhere close to the volume and span of the amazing miracles that Jesus performed during His three-year ministry. Jesus performed these to confirm the good news of salvation with all who heard, especially the poor and humble of the land. The apostle Matthew gives an account of some of the miracles that happened one of these times, as Jesus was preaching to and teaching the crowds about the kingdom.
18 As He was telling them these things, suddenly one of the leaders came and knelt down before Him, saying, “My daughter is near death, but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 So Jesus and His disciples got up and followed him.
20 Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years approached from behind and touched the tassel on His robe, 21 for she said to herself, “If I can just touch His robe, I’ll be made well!”
22 But Jesus turned and saw her. “Have courage, daughter,” He said. “Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that moment.
23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house, He saw the flute players and a crowd lamenting loudly. 24 “Leave,” He said, “because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.” And they started laughing at Him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matthew 9:18-25 (HCSB)
A truly amazing thing is that God still heals people today. He does not usually do it in the same public and pronounced way that He did when announcing the arrival of His kingdom. Today, it is often done quietly and discretely, in His timing, and using His chosen methods. It may involve use of the medical community, or it may not. If it does, He will make a way to put the right doctor or staff in the right place at the right time to get things done. Other times, He may do it spontaneously, quickly or slowly, with or without medical support, all to God’s glory.
God does not heal everyone. He is sovereign, and He will make the call as to who gets completely or partially healed, and who does not. But clearly, when His healing does not come to a praying believer, it is NOT because they did not have enough faith. Their faith puts them in the powerful position of being able to rightfully petition Him, and He encourages all believers to do so until, like the apostle Paul, He tells us to stop. His answer to our prayers may be a yes, a firm no, or like the man in the “Restored Voice” meditation, He may give us a “not now”. We will all one day learn the reasons why He answered our prayers the way He chose to do so. But we can be certain that whatever decision He makes, it will be done with love for us.
After raising the little girl from the dead, Matthew tells us that Jesus immediately encountered two blind men who wished to have their sight restored.
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
28 When He entered the house, the blind men approached Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they answered Him.
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith!” 30 And their eyes were opened. Matthew 9:27-30 (HCSB)
Jesus is a different type of King than the leaders who came before Him or after. He is filled with compassion for people and deeply loves them. Though God, He was also human, and must have often been physically exhausted by the long days and the press of the crowds as they desperately sought to be healed. Jesus stayed on course with His mission, all the while seeking out the “lost sheep”, to bring them under His eternal protection and care as their Good Shepherd.
35 Then Jesus went to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 36 When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38 (HCSB)
The work of the kingdom is still ongoing today, one person at a time, one day at a time. Jesus is calling us to join Him in His work, whatever form may take. As a teacher named Rosemary Gallatin once testified, whatever work God calls us to, it will be something we will enjoy, it will follow His word, and it will energize us as we work alongside Him on a harvest of souls, bringing them restoration, recovery, and eternal salvation.
May hearts, eyes, and minds be open to Him as the Holy Spirit works through us, drawing people to Himself and to His eternal kingdom. May all signs, including ongoing miracles of healing, continue to point to Jesus as the One True hope for all the world, that the people He created may be drawn to Himself.
Reflection
Have you or someone you know experienced the Lord’s healing?
Father God, we ask You to continue performing great miracles of healing for those who need it. Send us into Your harvest, using the specialized gifts and talents You have given us, in order to fulfill our purpose. By the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, teach us to work alongside You as holy instruments, purified and made fit for service through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. May You be reflected and glorified in everything we do, and may it be of benefit to Your kingdom. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
4 May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose. Psalm 20:4 (NKJV)
Have a blessed and beautiful day in the Lord.
Daily Meditations from the Genealogy of Jesus 