Matthew 9:27-34 Jesus Heals Two Blind Men and a Man Unable to Speak

Two blind men cry out for mercy while following Jesus. They believe he is the Son of David, not just a descendant of David, but the Messiah. The blind men persisted in their following and plea until Jesus probes their faith. He finds that they trust he is able to heal them and he does. Interestingly, Jesus sternly warns them not to tell anyone. While Jesus was interested in keeping his miracles a little more secretive, it was impossible for the blind men to hide it and his fame continued to spread. Also, a demon-oppressed man was brought to Jesus. He was mute, but when Jesus cast out the demon, he was free to speak. It is interesting to see the contrast in reaction among the people. While the crowds marveled, the Pharisees attributed Jesus’ exorcism to the power of the devil.

I’m struggling on how to think about the action of the blind men. They followed. They believed. They were healed. But they could not contain what they experienced despite Jesus’ stern warning. Is this to be considered a disobedience? Or is it the way of Matthew communicating that a grateful soul cannot contain the good news? I’m inclined towards the latter since this scenario is repeated several times throughout Matthew. Especially, when I consider the contrast with the Pharisees’ action of defaming Jesus. To follow Jesus is to spread his fame wherever we go for what he has done in our lives.

Lord, fill my heart with gratitude for all the good things you have done for me. May I, like the blind men, spread your fame wherever I go.

Matthew 9:18-26 A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah evidenced by his ability to heal (Is. 53:4-5). In this snapshot we have a vivid portrayal of Jesus’ powerful healing ministry. The ruler, named Jairus (Luke 8:41), refers to the person in charge of the synagogue and the city - some kind of city manager. It is very significant to see a man of his stature come and kneel before Jesus to plead for the life of his daughter. Such a display of humility! Not only that, but he comes asking Jesus to give life because she was already dead. And Jesus responds immediately to his plea by following him home. Such a display of faith!

Now, on the way to Jairus’ home, a woman suffering from a discharge of blood for twelve years comes behind Jesus and touches the fringe of his garment thinking that she can be healed that way. People suffering from bodily discharges were declared unclean and could not participate of social functions and religious gatherings. Her condition was private and she probably did not want to make it public. She was probably fearful of touching Jesus not wanting to make him unclean and humbly lowers herself to touch the fringe of his garment. All in all, she does not go unnoticed. Jesus perceived her humility and faith and addressed her directly as “daughter” declaring her healed and well. We again have great humility and faith meeting up with great compassion and power to heal.

Once at Jairus’ home, Jesus meets the mourner’s crowd. Mourners in those days were hired to play music (the flute) and wail before the body. It was an important part of the culture. The wailing is loud (shrieks and screams) causing a commotion. When Jesus declares to them that the girl is not dead, but sleeping they all laugh at Jesus. I find it ironic that the wailing crowd, payed to mourn, laughs at Jesus, the only hope of life. Their arrogance and unbelief is in stark contrast with Jairus’ humility and faith. After getting rid of the crowd, Jesus takes the girl by the hand and gives her life. This deed was reported through all that district.

To follow Jesus is to come in humility and faith believing he is able to do what is impossible for us.

Father, grant me a humble spirit to recognize my frailty and need. Fill me with faith that beleives your Son is not just a prophet, but God in the flesh who is able to do what is impossible for me.

Matthew 9:4-13 Jesus Calls Matthew

Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were despised by the Jewish people because they represented the Roman government and were often dishonest. They would charge extra taxes, pay a flat rate to Rome and pocket the rest. On top of that, Matthew was a Levite. The Levites were the chosen tribe of Israel to represent the nation and from them they chose those who would serve in the temple, making him even more despicable to his people. But Jesus calls him to follow. At a party, probably Matthew’s farewell party in his own house, Jesus and his disciples share a meal with tax collectors and sinners. Table fellowship in Israel was reserved for people in the in-group. The mere act of entering the house of a pagan made the person unclean and sharing a meal with them was unthinkable. When the Pharisees question the reasons for fellowshipping with them, Jesus explains using three sayings.

The first one is a metaphor: as the sick needs a doctor, so sinners need a Savior. The second one is a quote from Hosea where Jesus exalts mercy over sacrifice. Hosea indicted the people of God for being unfaithful to the covenant as they oppressed and murdered their neighbors. Mercy is the readiness to help those who are afflicted and in need out of compassion. Rituals and ceremonies mean nothing to God unless it is performed by a heart that desires to serve and obey the covenant. The third saying refers to Jesus’ mission. He came into the world precisely for this: to call on sinners and not on those who perceive themselves to be righteous. Jesus’ mission is to call on all of us sinners of the world to show us mercy by healing our sinful souls so that we might learn to show mercy unto others.

Matthew found mercy in Jesus. To follow Jesus is to accept his mercy. Jesus has great compassion for us and desires to help us with our miserable plight as sinners. But accepting his mercy is not to receive alms that provide a temporary relief to our condition leaving us as we are. To follow Jesus is to hear his call upon us as sinners and to respond with repentance to experience his healing power over our sinful souls. Matthew was totally transformed by God’s mercy leaving a despicable life behind. And Matthew learned to show mercy to his fellow tax collectors as he invited them to meet Jesus.

Father, thank you for sending Jesus into the world to show us mercy. Help me live in eternal gratitude for healing my soul. Teach me your ways that I may live showing mercy unto others as well.

Matthew 8:14-17 Jesus Heals Many

The focus on this passage is on Jesus’ healing ministry. He heals Peter’s mother in law from a fever by just touching her hand. He casts out demons from those oppressed with just a word. He heals all who were sick. From the beginning, Matthew has been piling up evidence that this Jesus is the Son of David, Son of Abraham, the Son of God. Matthew quotes Isaiah 53:4, a prophecy spoken of over 700 years before Jesus, and sees its fulfillment in Jesus’ healing ministry here. He is worth following because he can take every disease and cast out demons with a word.

Also, Isaiah’s suffering servant is the promised Messiah who would come to the world to bear the sins of the world and suffer piercing, crushing, and chastisement in the hands of God. Jesus is not only Healer, but also Savior. To follow Jesus is to believe he is the suffering servant spoken by Isaiah upon whom God laid our sins and crushed for our initquities.

Father, help me believe in your Suffering Servant who came into the world to take my sins. Help me believe he is not only my Savior, but also my Healer as well.

Matthew 8:5-13 The Faith of a Centurion

To follow Jesus means to have faith in him; faith like the centurion's. Jesus commended the faith of the centurion. It is worth noting that the centurion is a Gentile and Jesus comments that he had not seen such faith in Israel. This faith is independent of ethnicity. While the centurion was a Gentile, he was able to recognize that Jesus is the Messiah promised. His faith took him to trust in Jesus for the healing of his servant.

The centurion’s faith moved him to see Jesus’ authority and power and to humbly submit to it. The fact that he had authority and power allowed him to understand that just like he could command others, Jesus could command the healing by his word. It is a fact that any Jew who would walk into a Gentile home would become unclean and the centurion spares Jesus the trouble of going to his home.

Jesus points out that the faith of the centurion will get him to enjoy the final banquet in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Unfortunately, many Israelites will suffer a different fate: to be thrown into the outer darkness because they did not recognize him as the Messiah, had no faith.

Father, may I have faith like the centurion. A faith that transcends ethnicity, recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, and willingly submits to his power and authority.

Matthew 8:1-4 Jesus Cleanses a Leper

For the purposes of this series, I am skipping Jesus’ discourses. While I am not giving space to the discourses in the series, it does not mean that they are not valuable. It only means that I am not focusing on them here, but they are part of the context to understand the narratives. The first discourse is in chapters 5-7 and it is what we know as the Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon, Jesus explains how his followers ought to live their lives as part of the Kingdom of God. The ethical standards that Jesus lays out in this discourse are very high. Some people get confused with Jesus’ moral teachings and the Law. It is important to note that the Law is not equivalent to morality. While God’s laws are moral, they don’t define the extent of all morality. Sometimes laws define just a minimum moral requirement, but Jesus speaks of the full moral value of life in the kingdom and he taught it with authority.

Right after preaching this sermon, a leper comes to Jesus as he is walking down the mount and asks to be healed. Leprosy was a term used to describe a wide range of skin diseases that made a person “ceremonially unclean.” To be unclean meant that the person had to live outside the community until the leprosy healed and the priest had to approve his/her reentry into the community after examining and certifying that (s)he had healed. Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah that was prophesied by Isaiah, a healing Messiah. Actually, the healings were a sign to the people that God was at work in their midst. But I want to highlight the leper as a follower in contrast with the crowds that “followed” Jesus.

Like many others, the leper had a need. But in contrast with the crowds, the leper came to Jesus, knelt before him, called him Lord, and asked to be cleansed. The leper shows the attitudes of a true follower: he got closer, he worshiped, he believed. The way in which the leper asks shows that he had no doubt that Jesus could, but he pleaded that he would. Lepers were outcasts of society in those days, but Jesus does not hesitate to stretch out his hand and touch him to heal him. Jesus shows his compassion and takes action by showing mercy. In the same way, Jesus touches us when we come to him to be cleansed from all unrighteousness (1Jn.1:9).

Lord, cleanse me from all unrighteousness. May I get closer and acknowledge you as my Lord. Help me believe that you have the power to cleanse me from my uncleanness.

Acts 9:32-43 Aeneas and Dorcas

Miracles abound in the book of Acts. One of them is the healing of Aeneas, a paralytic who was bedridden for eight years. It is astonishing to read how a word spoken by Peter heals this man after so many years of suffering. It is important to understand that it is not Peter's resources that bring about the miracle. Peter clearly states "Jesus Christ heals you." Yes, Jesus Christ is our healer! Peter is just an instrument in God's hands. Healing is a manifestation gift. God chooses whom he wants to heal and when and how. If we could have healing in our back pocket, we could empty out hospitals, but we can't. The ultimate purpose of miracles is to back up the preaching of the Gospel to have people turn to the Lord.

Lydda and Sharon were very strategic places during this time. Lydda was at the intersection between the road leading to Egypt and the road leading to the Mediterranean. It was a hub for commerce and cultural exchange. Of course, the story of a miracle like Aeneas' would spread very quickly in an area like this. It spread all the way to the Sharon valley, a very fertile and beautiful area on the Mediterranean coast. The preaching of the Gospel must be led by the Spirit. The Spirit is all about being strategic to spread the Gospel. What are some strategic places in our area where we can proclaim the Gospel?

Joppa was also a famous port on the Mediterranean in those days. Talk about strategic! Peter is called to pray for a woman named Tabitha (Hebrew) or Dorcas (Greek) who was very much loved by the people in her town. She was already dead when Peter arrives. Peter's dependence on the Spirit of God is demonstrated by his prayer before he prays for Dorcas. Peter asks people to leave him alone so he can focus on his prayer for guidance and direction. Again, the manifestation of the Spirit in the resurrection of Dorcas brought people in contact with the Gospel and many believed.

It is imperative to seek the guidance of the Spirit in the proclamation of the Gospel. I cannot depend on my own wisdom and resources for a task that has as its ultimate purpose the transformation of people's lives. The signs and the wonders are in God's hands and I should not be concerned with them. I must have faith and believe that God can work wondrous things in people's lives. I must also believe that God could use me as an instrument for his miraculous works. I should be on the lookout for strategic places and strategic relationships that could benefit the spread of the Gospel.

Father, thank you for your Holy Spirit. Teach me to listen and follow his guidance day by day. Grant me a keen sense for what is important for the Gospel proclamation and fill me with faith to believe that you can do the impossible in people's lives. Amen.

Acts 5:12-16 Many Signs and Wonders Done

A sign is an event that points to the reality, presence, and power of God especially as it is related to the Gospel. A wonder is an unexpected, remarkable event that causes admiration in those who witness it. So when the Scripture speaks of signs and wonders, it is speaking of supernatural events that clearly testify to the reality of God and his kingdom causing admiration in those who either experience or witness them. Signs and wonders were never a goal or achievement to pursue. Signs and wonders are the means to preach the Gospel to an unbelieving world. It is a means to convince them of the reality of God and his Son Jesus as the one who died and was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven. Signs and wonders are not human accomplishments, but they are manifestations of God's power in the name of Jesus.

The impressive part of all this is that signs and wonders were "regularly done" by the apostles. I somehow thought that signs and wonders were supposed to be a rare occurrence, but it was not during the days of the apostles. It was a regular and common experience among them. Have I settled for a Gospel that lacks signs and wonders? Am I supposed to believe that signs and wonders were reserved for the Apostolic era and not for the rest of Church history? Why is my expectation so low when it comes to the move of the Spirit among God's people? Isn't the same Spirit who filled the Apostles living in us today?

The phrase "none of the rest dared join them" is not describing the fears of the other believers who were not apostles. It is describing the fears of the people who would not dare join lest they truly believed. The testimony of the Book of Acts as a whole teaches us that the power to perform signs and wonders was not just on the Apostles, it was operative in the disciples as well. The Apostles may have been the center of attention for signs and wonders, but it was not exclusively upon them. My preconceived notions of signs and wonders get in the way. I must set them aside and open my mind and heart to the reality of God working among unbelievers. But I must believe! It begins with me. If I think it is a thing of the past, how can I minister to those who are in need?

Wow! Peter's shadow was used as a means for the Spirit to heal people. That is amazing! I believe God moves according to need and according to faith. These people were coming out in faith seeking a healing. You don't see that today. Maybe there is the issue of why there isn't healing today like in the days of the Apostles. God has not changed, but the Church has and also the unbelieving masses of today. In those days, due to need, people had no other options for healthcare and therefore, were more open to the healing ministry of the Church. But also, I have to admit that the Church's expectations concerning healing have changed. We don't pray as much for healing anymore.

Father, fill me with your Holy Spirit. Help my unbelief. May I open my heart to what you can do among the unbelieving people of this world. May I make myself available to be a conduit of your power to operate in people's lives to promote your kingdom. Amen.

Acts 3:1-10 The Lame Beggar Healed

Judaism had three hours of prayer a day. The first one was at the third hour of the day or from 8:00-9:00am. The second was at the sixth hour of the day or from 11:00-noon. And the third was at the ninth hour of the day or from 2:00-3:00pm. The Jews counted the hours starting at 6:00am instead of midnight like we do (the Roman system). The disciples continued to pray according to this schedule. In our day, we have watered down our devotion through prayer. Many Christians don't practice a devotional life at all. I must fight to keep a meaningful devotional life every day.

During this hour of prayer, many Jews would make their way to the temple. Beggars came to take their place at the different gates that lead to the temple to ask for alms - beg for money. This was the only way that the handicapped poor could survive since they could not work. In the case of this lame beggar, probably family and friends would carry him to the gate to a place where he could be seen to receive some alms. Poverty is a difficult social issue that I wish I didn't have to deal with. But Jesus told us that we would have the poor with us. My responsibility is to ensure I have a benevolent heart to help those who are in need. It starts in my home, my church, and my community. My Christian faith demands that I "direct my gaze" at the poor and not away from them.

Interestingly enough, Peter and John are not in a position to give any money because they didn't have any to give. But the fact that they didn't have money did not deter them from interacting with the beggar. Actually, they had something to offer that was more precious than money - Jesus Christ! With authority, Peter calls on Jesus on behalf of the beggar for healing and the beggar is healed! I must understand that Christ is more important than money. The opportunity to pray for God's intervention in someone's life, including the outcast of our society should not be passed up. Sometimes, I focus on the material things I can offer people and don't stop to consider that a prayer may be as needed. Of course, I don't want to become one who just offers a prayer and does nothing to relieve the physical need. But I don't want to think that all I have to offer is material because Jesus Christ can do things in a life that nothing and no one else can do.

The results of offering a prayer on behalf of people and their needs are in the hands of God for sure. But I cannot enjoy testimonies of wonder and amazement unless I take that step of faith. The Gospel is proclaimed by the testimonies of people whom God touches through his body - the Church. I am part of that body. I am the hands of Jesus to touch those who are in need. I am the mouth of Jesus to say a prayer for those who are oppressed. I am the feet of Jesus to carry the Good News wherever I go. The poor and the oppressed need me to direct my gaze at them and offer them what I have - physically and spiritually. I will offer relief for the body as God enables me, but I will also offer relief for the soul in the name of Jesus Christ. I will offer my prayers on their behalf. I will intercede to my heavenly Father for them to receive a healing touch. For some it may be physical, but the real healing begins with the soul.

Father, help me be a man of prayer. May I seek you day by day with all my heart. Fill my heart with compassion so that I may be benevolent towards the poor and the oppressed. Give me courage to offer what I have to those in need. Amen.

Matthew 8:14-17 Jesus Heals Many

Some suggest that healing ceased and it is not for today. Others insist that healing is the "right" of every Christian. Empirical evidence proves both extremes wrong. There are testimonies of healing throughout Church History that prove that it did not end with the apostles, but continued with the spread of the Church until today. There are also plenty of testimonies from good, faithful brethren that their prayers for healing, for themselves or a loved one, were not answered as expected and it was not due to lack of faith. Somewhere between these two poles is the truth.

Jesus heals many, but not all. In this lifetime, we have to come to grips with the sovereignty of God in his choosing who he will heal and when. Faith is certainly necessary for healing, but not sufficient. The prophecy fulfilled is Isaiah 53. It specifically says that the Messiah would bear our grief and carry our sorrows. But we know that Jesus was not able to meet everyone who was sick and heal them even in his time. He healed all those that came into his path, and at times, he retired from the crowds to rest leaving many sick still.

But Isaiah 53:5 tells me more. It informs me that Jesus' death was substitutionary - he took my place. He was wounded for my transgressions. He was crushed for my iniquities. It tells me that the peace I enjoy today is the result of his chastisement. And there is a promise of healing as a result of his stripes. Why then, we don't experience healing all the time? 

Sickness and death are inevitable. The promise of healing is for all of us and it will ultimately be fulfilled at Christ's return when we are given new glorified bodies. But while in the flesh, God bestows healing as he sees fit to fulfill his plan for the ages. My responsibility is to believe and live by faith whether I experience healing or not, whether a loved one is healed or not. I must come to terms with the reality of the human condition: frail and temporal. I must grip the reality of a God who has a plan to ultimately heal me and wait patiently for its fulfillment even through death.

Lord, help me in my unbelief. When my own family suffers and healing does not come, help me believe. May I trust you and your plans for my life. May I have peace when illness strikes. May I have patience and hope as I wait for my final redemption.