Matthew 8:14-17 & Isaiah 53:4-5
It was Mother’s day weekend 2015. We got up that Saturday to get some good local breakfast as per Nita’s request, but were suddenly interrupted with a somber phone call. The illness of her father, Dave was worsening and if we wanted to see him before he passed, we would have to book it to Omaha as soon as we could. By noon we were packed and in the car, rushing towards the midwest with all the speed we could muster. We got there and took a moment to say our goodbyes, but as we all prayed together that evening, God seemed to tell us that he was going to do something amazing (and difficult) in Dave’s life. I had never experienced a miracle healing, and was amazed at the work God did! The recovery was certainly a long road, but who wouldn’t want to experience healing like this? Whether you’re the person being healed or one of the onlookers, it was a truly amazing moment to behold. God did a great work! And sometimes, that leads to some deep questions about our faith, because with every story like Dave’s comes many others whose situations turn out like originally expected – in pain and grief. That makes us want to ask how God works healing today and what it all means.
First off, the bible DOES teach on physical healing in this earthly life, but the difficult part is that not everyone receives the miraculous healing like Dave did. How do we handle that? We are going to look at a few passages today to put together a fuller understanding of Christ’s healing work. I’d like to expound on a couple of thoughts from this short passage.
Jesus’ Atonement Speaks to Earthly, Physical Healing
Jesus’ healing touch is something that is largely passed over today with advancements in medicine and a loss of belief in the power of God to heal. When people are healed, medicine usually gets the credit and when people die, we assume that the “healing” is eternal healing. This passage and its connection to Isaiah shows us that it is fully in the work and power of Christ to heal earthly maladies through his work on the cross. Miraculous, physical healings are real and a part of Christ’s work on earth today.
Miraculous Healings are Purposeful
An interesting thing to note in the story about Peter’s mother-in-law is the day-to-day, mundane routine of it all. She was sick, then healed, then got up and got back to work. Matthew teaches us that healing from Jesus also includes the day-to-day healing of illness and injury in the course of our earth-bound lives. As believers in Jesus, while on earth, we are on mission and Jesus’ work on the cross brings us the opportunity to be healed so we can continue on mission. This is not a guarantee of physical health, but it is a promise. With God working in and through you, you are invincible until He calls you home. We see this is the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law – her healing was clearly physical (not eternal) and it enabled her to serve. The Matthew passage also ties this directly to Christ on the cross through the Isaiah passage. Therefore, we can confidently say that with Christ’s stripes, we are healed in this earthly life (Isaiah 53:4-5).
This part of the story effects me directly because of my illness. While God has communicated to Nita and I that he won’t take away the disease, he clearly is working in me to keep me going. God preserved and sustained me through many difficult prognosis, giving me the tools, the help, and the determination to see it through to some new things he has done lately that are putting me on a level of health I never dreamed of! In the past it would have been unheard-of to adopt kids or be out with so many people all the time, yet God has given me strength and longevity that I never expected. He has a purpose for me and until that purpose is accomplished and over, I am secure in his sustaining and protecting work.
A “No” Can Be the Answer
Now, of course, I don’t know when that purpose will come to an end. None of us do. Sometimes, the answer is no. Jimmy was in his sixties and helping me to recover from shoulder surgery. He came over and mowed my almost half-acre lot multiple times before I was able to push a lawn mower again. He was being considered to join our ministry leadership team at church and had all kinds of promise ahead of him. It was a quick 7 month journey of bone cancer that spread and all of a sudden he was gone. Consider 2 Corinthians 12:8-10. Christ’s healing work isn’t about making us feel better; it’s about seeing his mission through to bring more people to himself. Eventually we all will run the course of our role in that plan and he will call us home. All we can do is trust in his plan and live in his grace – letting it be enough for us even when we feel lost in grief.
Next Steps
There is a lot to process – yes, God heals, but it is according to his plan and purpose. We need to trust in Christ’s healing work, but moreso his plan. What can we learn from this? Some ways to process:
- Celebrate the healings and recoveries that we see/experience.
- Engage as an active worker in his purpose for this world.
- Trust in God’s answers, even when they are not what you wanted.
It’s not about our life or longevity, it’s about accomplishing his mission. All his work is towards his mission. Let’s get on board with his mission!
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