Jesus’ Healing Ministry

GOLDEN TEXT: “Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” —Matthew 9:35

MATTHEW 8:5-17

JESUS’ miracles were designed to show forth the coming glory and blessings of his kingdom, as well as evidence of his messiahship. (John 2:11) Through the agencies of his kingdom Christ will heal all the sick, and even death itself will be destroyed. (I Cor. 15:25, 26) During the brief period of Jesus’ earthly ministry a few of the sick were healed, and some were awakened from the sleep of death, but, as history clearly reveals, this did not signal the beginning of a general and world program of healing and of resurrection.

After Pentecost Peter healed a lame man, and explained that when Jesus returned there would be “times of restitution [or restoration] of all things,” which, Peter declared, had been spoken “by the mouth of all his [God’s] holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21) “Ye are the children of the prophets,” Peter said to his Jewish audience, “and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.”—Acts 3:25

In other words, when God promised that the “seed” of Abraham would bless all the families of the earth, the blessings of restoration represented in healing and resurrection are what he meant.—Acts 4:1,2

The specific instance of healing brought to our attention in today’s lesson is that of the servant of a centurion, or captain of the Roman army, a Gentile. In response to the request by the centurion, Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion explained, based upon his own experience in directing those under him, that it would not be necessary for Jesus to make the trip to his home, that he would simply need to direct that his servant be healed, and he would be healed.—vss. 7-9

Jesus “marveled” at this and said, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”—vss. 10-12

In Luke 13:28, where Abraham and Isaac and Jacob are mentioned as being in the kingdom, the statement is added, “and all the prophets.” This statement by Jesus means that when his kingdom begins to function for the blessing of the people, the “fathers” of Israel will have been raised from the dead, and will be looked up to as the representatives of the kingdom, the ones from whom instructions will come, and by whom the blessings of the kingdom will be dispensed. (Ps. 45:16) The centurion believed that Jesus could heal his servant. We wonder if his faith was great enough to believe what Jesus said about the return from the dead of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Few now are able to believe this.

Jesus said further that with the return of the ancient prophets as the ones to be recognized by the world—from the east and the west—the “children of the kingdom” would be cast out “into outer darkness,” and that on their part there would be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This statement has been misconstrued to mean eternal torture for the wicked, but this is not the thought at all.

The “children of the kingdom” were the Israelites who believed, and properly so, that they would be the channel of divine blessings when the messianic kingdom became operative. But through their lack of faith they failed to qualify for this high position. When the kingdom is established, these will recognize the high position they lost, and it will result in a very “dark,” disappointing experience for them. The weeping and gnashing of teeth symbolizes their chagrin.

However, the Israelites who rejected Jesus will not lose the opportunity of gaining everlasting life. Of that time Paul wrote, “All Israel shall be saved,” for God will show mercy to them. Paul further explains that the return of Israel to the favor of God will mean “life from the dead.”

Just as the prophets will need to be resurrected in order to be in the kingdom, so also will the Israelites in order to recognize their loss and turn to the Lord and receive the salvation which God provided for them through the death and resurrection of their Redeemer and Messiah. Great indeed, is the healing ministry of Christ.

QUESTIONS

For what purposes were the miracles performed by Jesus?

When, in the plan of God, will be the general work of healing?

Who will be the human representatives of the kingdom?

Who are the “children of the kingdom” who are cast out?

When and under what circumstances will they be saved?

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