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‘Everybody Gets Healed’
Day 1 Reading: Matthew 12:1-15
Moffatt’s translation puts Matthew
12:15 this way: “Many followed Him, and He healed them all.”
As the reading makes clear, Jesus is
causing quite a stir.
His disciples get caught picking ears of corn in the
field on the Sabbath.
The Pharisees accuse them of breaking the law.
Jesus engages them, defending His disciples’ activity
on a couple of grounds.
First, there is Old Testament precedent of David,
fleeing from Saul.
Second, the priests on Sabbath temple duty are by
definition working on the Sabbath.
Following these points, Jesus asserts that He is Lord
of the Sabbath.
Later that day, the Pharisees and Jesus
are all in the synagogue, along with a man with a shriveled
hand. The
Pharisees pick a fight with Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to
heal on the Sabbath?”
Jesus points out that any of them would pull his sheep
from a pit on the Sabbath, and that people are much more
valuable than sheep.
And then Jesus modifies the law: “Therefore, it is
lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
And then Jesus healed the man.
And the Pharisees, “went out and
plotted how they might kill Jesus.”
Jesus also left the synagogue.
And it’s not clear in the text that it isn’t the same
day. But verse 15
says, ‘Many followed Him, and He healed them all.”
It is plausible that Jesus didn’t only defend the
breach of Jewish Sabbath custom by His disciples by quoting
Old Testament precedent and arguing priestly law; He didn’t
merely heal a man in the synagogue on the Sabbath in direct
confrontation with the squabble-stirring Pharisees; He healed
them all! All
those who followed Him.
And everyone who follows Jesus gets
healed. The
situation was tense.
There have been hostile clashes.
There must have been an uproar at the synagogue after
the healing incident.
The Pharisees are plotting to kill Jesus.
The stakes are high.
For those on the fence, now is a good time to wait it
out and see which way the winds blow.
Maybe.
But many people decided to get off the fence.
They were convinced by Jesus.
By His teaching, by His manner, and by His power.
And they followed Him.
When you read the news today, you might
easily come to the same conclusion that some were tempted
towards in that day.
Wait.
Check the political winds.
See who will get the upper hand.
There might be a better opportunity come along.
Get comfortable up on that fence – as comfortable as
sitting on a fence can be.
But many followed Him.
And many, today, have decided to follow Jesus, too.
Like those in the Gospel according to Matthew, they’ve
been convinced by Jesus.
By His teaching, by His manner, and by His power.
And they’ve decided to follow Jesus.
And do you know what?
Just like back in the first century, everybody who
follows Jesus gets healed.
Now, note that we’re not guaranteeing that if you have
a broken arm it will be healed today, or that if you had a
stroke your movement and control will be immediately restored.
Those things will all be corrected at some point,
possibly as you enter into eternity from earth.
But healing implies change and improvement.
And those suffering from the consequences of sin and
hurt and victimhood and oppression and shame and guilt – they
will be healed.
They will be changed.
Their lives will be improved.
You can decide to follow Jesus, today.
Talk to Him, along these lines…
‘Lord, I decide to follow You.
I’m no longer going to sit on the fence or the
sidelines. I’m
not longer going to spectate or wait out to see which way the
winds blow. Thank
You for dying on the cross for my sins, for rising again, for
pursuing me… I’m
convinced by You, by Your teaching, by Your manner, by Your
power. Please
forgive me (you can fill in specifics as He prompts you,
here). Please
heal me. Please
fill me with Holy Spirit.
Please accompany me all the way to heaven. ‘
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