And He Healed them all: Examples of Healing VIII.mp3 Podcast: Download (29.2MB)
Key Text:
Luke 8:41-56
Luke 9:1-17
Luke 9:37-42
Jesus was touchable!
Which means Jesus IS touchable!
By touchable, I mean He is able to be approached with confidence and safety.
Let me help you submerge into the reality of our beginning passage by helping you read your Bible without your religious, superficially “holy” filters on – so you can really see.
Hypothetical:
Okay, you and a friend are at a concert of a particularly famous person and where positioned immediately near the stage, having people pressing in upon you from every side.
After about an hour of this your friend says to you, “Hey,who touched me?” You turn to your friend and look at him like he’s crazy and say, ‘Look around you! You’re in a mosh pit, and you ask who touched you?’
Though your tone may show astonishment and more than a little sarcasm, you are not angry with your friend, you just think he asked a silly question for which there was no real answer.
Now, let’s take a look at our passage in Luke 8:41-56. I submit to you, that we hear Peter say something to Christ in these verses which no one would ever have said if they had not felt comfortable with Him.
Let’s listen to what they said,
And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When everyone denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ “ ~ Luke 8:45
Now I do not mean to indicate that Peter showed disrespect to Christ – he called him master. The question can hardly be asked in good humor however, without a quirky grin on your face and looking a them as though they just said something profoundly silly!
[Don’t miss the video below]
Why do I bring this up?
Because it reveals the nature of the relationship those who knew Christ the best – had with Him. Jesus was not a taskmaster, He was easy to get along with and never overly domineering. he was compassionate and most likely of a good humor.
Why is this important?
Because the mental image you’ve painted of Him on the canvas of your heart will be the face you are staring into when you come to Him for the healing of your body. If you’ve painted Him as so exalted that He would never be found among the commoners – much less in a crowd where He could be touched by them – you’ll probably stay sick! Your Jesus is a stoic and is untouchable and therefore cannot minister to your needs and you will doubt very much that He wants to do so anyway.
I am not trying to steal way from the deep honor and reverence we need to have for Him – but it is a heart reverence that manifests in how we live our lives to honor both Him and His name. It is not a reverence that simply manifests itself in religiously pious externals which “appear” holy to natural man.
Jesus was a “Holy Man” – He was and is God, but He was loved by the masses and was profoundly touchable! Prostitutes and sinners do not eat dinner and enjoy the company of the religiously haughty! They did not feel judged or rejected – they heard acceptance and love which compelled them to change their minds about their lives! It will change yours about healing too!
This little video is a great example of what I am saying. If you are the one I am speaking about above, let it break your heart for believing in a a Jesus that is so far removed and so religiously haughty as to be calloused or indifferent to your pain. That is not Who Jesus is – not historically…and not today. The scriptures tell us that Jesus Christ is the same “…yesterday, today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8. But let me caution you not to blame a wrong view of Christ on your Pastors or your family or friends – God is near you, and can be seen without anyone else’s help if you just have eyes to see and ears to hear.
The question is are your hungry?
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for right standing with God, for they shall be completely satisfied.” ~ Matt. 5:6
Overview:
Below are a few other points I made today concerning healing as we read further into Luke’s gospel.
- Don’t be a glass half-empty sort of person. Such people are NOT the type who would have come to Christ in His ministry. They would not have believed that they would receive anyway! For such a person, coming to Jesus would have just to just invite denial, and glass-half empty kind of people are afraid to hope for fear of being let down! You cannot be afraid to hope!
- “For in You, O LORD, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God. For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.” For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin. But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied. Those also who render evil for good, They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good. Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” ~ Psalm 38:15-22
- “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. The LORD shall reign forever— Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!” ~ Psalm 146:5-10
- “This hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly.” ~ Rom. 5:5-6
- Jesus will protect your faith, but not just for your sake! Jesus protects faith predominately because it come from a revelation of God’s person. People believed and relied upon Christ because He had revealed himself to them as the One Who COULD AND WOULD heal their sicknesses. It wasn’t a revelation of a fact – but a revelation of a person. Knowledge of God (not just about Him) is the most precious commodity in existence – for it Paul forsook everything he ever held dear…
- “More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ.” ~ Philippeans 3:8
- For the same reason of honoring Him, we MUST guard our hearts against any knowledge which would dethrone Him and steal our confidence in Who He has revealed Himself to be to us.
- “…We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” ~ 2Cor 10:4-5
- You MUST surround yourself with people of faith. This does not mean people of religion nor people who are “in” faith with you concerning something. It just means people who will look to God with you and not work against what you believe God had revealed to you – JUST SO LONG as what you claim God told you is consistent with scripture!
- “While He was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house, saying, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the Teacher anymore.” When Jesus heard it, He answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be made well.” After He came to the house, He let no one enter with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother.“ ~ Luke 8:49-51
- Luke 9:1-11 tells us a lot! Jesus had indiscriminately given power and authority over demons and SICKNESS to His disciples and told them to preach the kingdom of God, deliver from demons and heal the sick. He does not warn them to only heal certain sick people, but just sick people. Later, Jesus taught, and people brought their sick from all over and I want you to pay attention to WHO Jesus healed!
- “Summoning the Twelve, He gave them power and authority over all the demons, and power to heal diseases. Then He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” ~ Luke 9:1-2
- “When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus all that they had done. He took them along and withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida. When the crowds found out, they followed Him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and cured those who needed healing.” ~ Luke 9:10-11
Don’t miss that last point! Jesus welcomed those who sought Him out and healed EVERYONE who needed healing! – No exceptions!
Let me ask you this final question…
What do you think would have happened that day if YOU had come to Him for healing in Bethsaida? ….Hmmmm!
