SPIRITUAL HEALING

I want to draw you attention today to two specific chapters in the Book of Matthew. As I was studying the Bible this week in Matthew, I was amazed by what I saw; actually surprised I had never seen it before. It was in my reading of chapters 8 and 9 that I began to see myself in a whole new light. It was here that I saw myself first as a leper, but in the end as something far greater. Within chapter 8 and 9 we read the accounts of Jesus’ power over leprosy, paralysis, fever, the storm, demon-possession, a hemorrhage, and finally blindness. While we read of these ailments as physical conditions, I saw these ailments for the first time as definitions of our spiritual condition at times.
What do I mean? Well let us look first at Matthew 8:1-4. The account shares that a man with leprosy came to Jesus, knelt before Him, and spoke, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus responded that He was indeed willing, touched the man, said “Be clean,” and in an instant the man was free from the disease. But let us not speed read through what has just happened here. Leprosy in Jesus’ time was fatal disease. Furthermore, it was so bad that colonies were set up for lepers, away from other ‘clean’ people, so that the clean would not become infected. The leper had to stay a distance away from others, and call out ‘unclean’ when others were within a certain radius. What does all this remind you of? Does it perhaps remind you of sin?
How so, you ask. What is the one thing we learn early on about our sin? While I am sure answers flood your mind, I think we can all agree that we have learned that sin will separate us from God. Much like the leper, we become unclean when we sin. We may not have to call out that we are unclean in our situation, but we are unclean. And just like the leper, we are separated from the relationship we desire with God. The redeeming fact is, though, that just as this leper came to Jesus, so we can come to Him also. Just asked he questioned if Jesus was willing to make him clean, so we can ask Jesus to make us clean. And just as Jesus said He was willing, so He is willing to make us clean also, forgiving us of the sin that has caused the separation.
In reading these two chapters we find other relations between the physical and spiritual. The centurion’s servant suffered from paralysis, which in many ways can relate to helplessness. To this Jesus spoke and the disease obeyed Christ’s command. Jesus healed the mother-in-law of Peter who suffered a fever. The fever can relate to restlessness. When she was healed she arose and began serving Jesus. So to when we are calmed of our restlessness, we find we can serve Jesus with clear mind.
Jesus showed His power over the wind and waves of the storm that came in the night. But is it not true that Jesus also calms the turbulence of our life, when the waves of fret, worry, and stress come to swallow us up? And then we read of the demoniacs, whose details match those of control. The demons knew the control Jesus had, but they wanted to control things themselves. Please note, I am not saying you have control issues, but what is controlling your life? If it is not Jesus now, then let it become Jesus by letting Him cast off that spirit of control holding you back from giving your all to Him.
In chapter 9 we read of a hemorrhaging woman who relates to the defilements that hemorrhage from us. Notice that she was ill for twelve years. May I ask how long you have been hemorrhaging and ill; how long have you been defiled. Jesus healed her, and He can heal you. And finally we read of His healing of the blind, which we read as physical but can easily relate to blindness of spiritual truth. Spiritually blind cannot lead, just as a blind person does not make for a good choice to follow. But take heart, for Jesus wants to heal your blindness as He did those who called out, “Son of David, have mercy on us.”
So what is it you need from Him? I guarantee you He is willing to heal you. He does not want you to suffer or live with your disease any longer. Call out to Him, allow His touch, and find as I am finding, that He is willing. His love for you is greater than the ocean, deeper that any person can dig. Come to Him and let Him restore you, let His power over your spiritual disease wash over you now.