The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 4:40,
"When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them."
The love of Jesus Christ is an amazing thing, even startling when given enough reflection. Paul speaks of the love of Jesus Christ in important ways. He points out that it is this love of his that brought him here to planet earth to die a miserable death to pay the penalty for our sins, "When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." Titus 3:4-5a. Paul also points out that nothing can separate us from this love he has for us, "Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Romans 8:34-35.
Here in our passage above we see Jesus Christ healing many. I believe there are a couple of things expressed by our Lord in his healing of folks. The first is, consistent with the context of this passage, the Lord is establishing his credentials and authority for the work he was sent by his Father to do. His ability to heal sickness and disease speaks of his authority over God's judgment of sin. Sickness, disease and death are all the judgment of God for mankind's fall in the garden. In that Jesus Christ has control over that judgment tells us he is God himself and can deliver on his promise in the gospel. To be sure, the healing Jesus Christ brought to these people was only temporary as his plan is that we will only find physical relief from God's judgment for sin in the resurrection. He wants us to take encouragement in the realization that if he has authority over judgment for sins, then what is promised us in the gospel message is certain.
The second thing Jesus' healing of folks expresses to me is it speaks of his compassion. In Matthew 14:14 we read, "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick." When approached by a man with leprosy we read of the Lord, "A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, 'If you are willing, you can make me clean.' Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured." Mark 1:40-41. Apart from establishing his credentials as Savior, in his healing of those he came into contact with, he expresses his kindness, mercy and compassion.
It is an important message for me today as I lost a good friend, Georgia, who passed away last night. Her hope in Jesus Christ is now a fulfillment the rest of us can look forward to, as she has transcended the bonds of God's judgment for sin in this lost and fallen world. This, to me, brings the greatest of any possible hope we can lay claim to.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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