Verse(s) of the Day
“That evening people brought to Jesus many people who had demons inside them. He spoke and the demons left the people. He healed all those who were sick. So Jesus made clear the full meaning of what Isaiah the prophet said: ‘He took away our diseases and carried away our sicknesses.’ Isaiah 53:4” Matthew 8:16–17 ERV
Lesson of the Day
Throughout the Bible, we see Jesus healing people from many different conditions. Matthew 4:23–24 tells us that people brought Him those who were suffering from different diseases and pain. Some suffered from seizures, some were paralyzed, and some had demons inside them. The passage ends by saying, “Jesus healed them all.”
This means that no illness was too difficult for Jesus to heal. Whether an illness affects the body or the mind, it is not greater than the power of Jesus Christ.
There were no conditions the sick had to meet before Jesus healed them. Jesus healed out of compassion. When He would say, “Sin no more,” it was a warning He gave when He knew sin was the root of an illness.
Mostly, faith was the doorway to being healed, but not always. Some people were healed because of their own faith, like the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus told her, “Your faith has made you well.”
The paralyzed man lowered through the roof was healed when Jesus saw their faith. This included the faith of the friends who were determined to bring him to Jesus. The man born blind in John 9 was healed before he fully understood who Jesus was. Therefore, it was not, “Do this, and then you will be healed.” Healing came through God’s mercy, and faith was often the channel.
As for “sin no more,” Jesus told the paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda, “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” Jesus did not say that to everyone He healed. Most of the time, He simply said, “Go in peace,” or, “Your faith has made you well.”
Jesus is still in the healing business. Healing is real even today. We still go to Jesus, but we do not need to travel to reach Him. We just need to pray in the Spirit and believe that Jesus can heal. However, healing is not guaranteed in this life. Some suffering is meant to remain so that His grace can be shown through it. That is where trust comes in—the hard part.
Not everyone gets healed in this life. After Jesus left the earth, Paul had a painful affliction that he called a thorn in the flesh. He asked God three times to remove it, but God said no: “My grace is sufficient for you.” Timothy had stomach problems, and Paul told him to drink a little wine for them. Trophimus was left sick at Miletus. These were faithful servants of God in the New Testament church, and they did not all experience immediate healing.
Encouragement
Notice that the Scripture says they brought many sick people to Jesus. We must take the sick to Jesus. If we or someone we love is facing an illness, we should not lose hope. We can bring every condition to Jesus—physical, emotional, or mental.
Sometimes a diagnosis can frighten us, especially when doctors say that an illness is chronic or has no known cure. However, a diagnosis only identifies the condition; it does not limit God. Jesus does not need an illness to be small, understandable, or easily treated before He can heal it.
Sometimes healing happens instantly, and sometimes it happens gradually. God may also work through doctors, medication, therapy, and other forms of treatment. Seeking proper care does not mean that we lack faith. We can receive help while continuing to trust Jesus as our Healer.
We must also remember that we cannot control how or when Jesus heals. When healing does not happen immediately, it does not mean that someone lacks faith or that God has abandoned them. We continue to pray, follow wise medical care, and trust that Jesus is present with us throughout the process.
We may not know how the healing will come, but we know who our Healer is.
Prayer
Father God, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, who has power over every sickness and disease. We ask You to touch those who are suffering in their bodies or minds. Bring healing, comfort, peace, and restoration according to Your will. Give wisdom to doctors and those providing treatment. Strengthen families and caregivers, and help us show compassion for anyone who is suffering from any kind of illness. While we wait for healing, strengthen our faith and remind us that we are never alone. We believe in the healing power of Jesus Christ, and we place every illness in Your hands. In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.