Jesus Heals

September 2, 2017

Daily Readings
Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b
Exodus 4:1-9
Psalm 26:1-8
Jeremiah 15:10-14
This week’s sermon text:  Matthew 8:14-17

Field Notes
In the Bible, there are essentially five ways God provides healing.

Jesus provides instant healing as in the case of today’s scripture. With his simple touch, he healed Peter’s mother-in-law.

Jesus creates the conditions where healing takes place over a period of time. For instance, let’s say I have back pain caused by stress. Instead of healing the back pain, God heals the stress, and in time my back pain is healed.
Jesus heals through medical science. When Jesus made clay with dirt and his spit and put it in the blind man’s eyes, he was using the medical science of his day for healing blindness. In Jesus’ day, the medical world believed that if anything needed healing, spit (like penicillin of the 1950s) could heal it. Scholars believe that Jesus was saying to future generations through the clay and spit that medical science is a gift from God.

Jesus provides the grace sufficient for our needs in spite of ailments. Paul prayed three times for the healing of his thorn in the flesh. The “three times” was a Hebraism that meant he’s prayed over and over and over again for the healing of the pain he had. Then he says in his next statement, that while the pain is still there, Christ’s grace is sufficient for his needs. The word for healing in the Bible does not mean something will necessarily grow back to the way it was. It means wholeness, completeness, and salvation. Like those in nursing homes who have major ailments, some may never get physically better, but they have a holistic-healthier outlook.

God provides healing through death and resurrection. Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 15 when he says that our earthly, imperfect, corruptible bodies are replaced with spiritual, perfect, incorruptible bodies. That is a description of our perfect healing that comes through death and resurrection.

Where do you need healing today? Ask and seek God’s healing. It may or may not come in the form you want, but we can be assured that God will provide the healing we need in the form that is best for us.

Questions for the Field

• When have you experienced healing of any kind in your life?
• Is there anything you want to pray for healing now?

Family Field Talk

• Discuss the five ways people receive healing. Identify people who have received healing from each of the five ways God heals.
• Pray as a family for people who need healing.

Prayer Guide
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the great physician, the great healer. You know our needs before we ask. You know where we need healing and what is best for us. I know you and know your wisdom is greater than anything that makes sense in this world. So I pray for healing. I pray for the healing of my body, mind, soul, emotions, and relationships. In your gracious name, I pray. Amen.