Matthew 8-9: A Ministry of Healing

Over and over again, the people came to Jesus and over and over again he healed their diseases and raised the dead.  He healed the man with leprosy.  He healed the centurion's servant.  He healed the two demon-possessed men.  He healed the paralytic.  He healed the woman who merely touched the hem of his garment on his way to raise the ruler's daughter from the dead.  He healed the two blind men.  He healed the demon possessed man who could not speak.  He was always willing:  when asked, he told the man with leprosy, 'I am willing'.  and it was always a matter of their faith.  'Your faith has made you whole.' he told the woman who touched his garment. 

Faith, forgiveness, and healing went hand-in-hand in Jesus' ministry.  This frustrated the religious rulers of the time. As he told them when they wanted to know why he hung out with sinners and tax collectors.  "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." - Matt. 9:32 NIV

The faith of the religious leaders, who should have recognized God in the flesh, was in stark contrast to that of the Roman centurion, the leprous, the demon possessed and the untouchables.  Jesus pointed this out when the centurion told him that he believed that all Jesus had to do was say the word and his servant would be healed.

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." - Matt 8:10

There was healing to be done, there was forgiveness to be meted out, there was good news to be preached  and yet those that should have been doing God's work were either oblivious to the need or so wrapped up in their own personal lives and ministry that the people were going without. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." - Matt. 9:37

The world had been waiting for the Savior all along.  The world recognized him even if his own did not.