Which One Are You?

Today's topic is healing. Everyone reading this post has, at some point, been sick and in need of healing. It's part of the human condition. Some of us have been fortunate enough to have been blessed with excellent health throughout our lives. However, some of us have been dealing with chronic illness since our birth. The human body is remarkable in its complexity, yet at the same time, it is prone to sickness and disease. The truth of the matter is that some of us get sick from external factors and some of us are born sick!

The Bible has many stories about Jesus healing the sick. In fact, a careful review of Jesus' life on earth will reveal that He spent more of His time healing people than preaching or doing anything else. This shows us how important healing our physical bodies was to Jesus. When it comes to healing, there are four stories in the Gospel of Matthew that catch my attention. The stories are found in chapter 8. They talk about a leper, a centurion, Peter's mother-in-law, and a town full of sick people. Let's take a deeper dive.

Our stories start out with Jesus coming down from the mountainside and large crowds following Him. By now, news of Jesus and His ability to perform miracles had spread all throughout Galilee and the surrounding areas. As He is making His way towards Capernaum, a man with leprosy came up and knelt before Him. The leper said, "Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean." You see, back in those days if you had leprosy you were considered 'unclean'. Upon hearing this man ask to be made clean, Jesus reaches out His hand and touches the leper. Keep in mind that in those days nobody in their right mind would have dared to do such a thing. But Jesus did. He reaches out and says, "I am willing...be clean." Immediately the man was cleansed from his leprosy. Then, a curious thing happens. Jesus instructs the man not to tell anyone what had happened but to just go before the priest to show that he no longer had leprosy and offer the gift Moses commanded for such an occasion. The Law of Moses specified that a person cleansed from leprosy had to bring before the priest two live clean birds, some cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop.

Immediately after this, we read that when Jesus reached Capernaum a centurion (a roman military officer in charge of 100 soldiers) came to Him and said, "Lord, my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly." Jesus asks the centurion, "Should I come and heal him?" But the centurion replied by saying, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes, and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this He was amazed and said to those following Him, "Truly, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith." Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that moment.

Upon arriving at Peter's house, Jesus saw that Peter's mother-in-law was sick lying in bed with a fever. As soon as Jesus touched her the fever left her and she got up and began to wait on them. Now, that night, everyone in town came to Him with the sick and the demon-possessed. And the Bible tells us that, "He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick."

In just a few brief verses we find four different stories of healing. As I read through these stories I often wonder which story do I relate to the most. Do you see yourself in any of these stories? I'd like to look at these stories from both a physical and a spiritual perspective. Let's talk about both physical and spiritual healing. And so I ask you, which one are you? Who do you identify with in these stories?

Perhaps you identify more with the leper. You have done questionable things in your life and you live with the guilt of past mistakes. You feel dirty and rotten like a leper. Perhaps you've put off coming to Jesus because you feel unworthy or perhaps you're waiting to overcome your old familiar sin before you dare to approach the Savior. Well, my advice to you is to do just as the leper did. Despite your condition, come to Jesus and dare to ask Him, 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.' Do not focus on what others think of your 'disease', rather focus on whom Jesus says you are! "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." John 1:12.

Perhaps you identify more with the centurion. Do you often find yourself pleading with God on behalf of others? You have plenty in your own life to care about but you find yourself helping others and putting their needs before your own. Well, I have good news for you. Jesus is amazed at your faith! Interceding on behalf of others is an indication of how strong your faith is. You not only believe for yourself, but you believe for them too! The world needs more people like you. Your unselfish love is a blessing to us all.

Maybe you identify with Peter's mother-in-law. You are not necessarily always praying for others but you sure are busy taking care of other people's needs. You are the nurturer, the caretaker, the one everyone depends on to look after them. Yes, you are like Peter's mother-in-law. Jesus is in your house but you are so busy taking care of His physical needs that you barely have time to spend some quiet time alone with Him. Does this sound like you? Well, there are two things I would like to tell you. First, please recognize that your ministry is needed! In taking care of others you show the love of God to them. This is a good thing. But secondly, be careful not to get too busy that you risk losing intimacy with your loving Savior. Make sure to take time for you and Jesus - privately and without the rush. You may feel strong enough some days to skip a prayer and a meditation here and there. But beware! That is exactly what Satan wants you to believe. You are not strong enough. You need to spend more time alone with Jesus. Your strength comes from spending time with Jesus!

Lastly, maybe you see yourself as one of many in the crowd. You probably wonder if Jesus even has time for you. With so many other people needing Jesus' attention, you wonder if He even notices you. One by one you see Jesus healing everyone else but you. You patiently wait in line but it seems your turn never comes up. Eventually, your faith starts to falter. You begin to wonder if it is something you have done that makes Jesus not take notice of your situation. You are sick and in desperate need of healing but it seems that Jesus is too busy healing everybody else. Well, to you I say this. You are being deceived by your negative feelings. You are being lied to. Satan is a liar and he wants nothing more than for you to lose hope. Do not lose hope, my friend. Like Jacob when he wrestled with God, don't let go of Him until He blesses you! Whenever you feel this way remember how the story ends - He healed ALL the sick!

Until next time my fellow pilgrims!