Matthew 8-9: Down from the Mountain

When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” - Matt 8:1 NIV

It's one thing to deliver speeches to the multitudes who follow after you, it's a completely different experience to come down from the lofty heights to where people are and suddenly be confronted with their realities.  All of a sudden, Jesus found himself surrounded by the blind, the paralytic, the bleeding, the dying, and the demon possessed.  Now what? 

Jesus did what few of us have the faith to do.  He acted on his Father's authority and healed them.  He moved around through all of those who had been wounded by living and gave them hope, he gave them back their lives.  And to those who would question the people he hung around with, he gave the Father's response, "go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’" He didn't surround himself with the capable or the elite, but those who knew how needy they themselves were.  Then, he challenged those who had chosen to follow him to put into practice what they saw him do.

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 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. 9:35-38 NIV

There are times when I wish I could walk through a crowd and touch suffering and let the Father's healing flow through to the needy.  I've come close to experiencing that in third world countries, but now here.  Here we have our own healers.  Their healing leaves something to be desired.  We usually wind up with the side effects of any surgery or medication, our minds might be blasted by the treatment or our energy depleted, but it's medicine after all.  If I really open my eyes, I will see that nothing has changed.  The harvest field is still out there.  God's healing is still the miracle power kind, not a placebo.  We still have the answer for the harassed and helpless.  All we need is God's compassion.  We need to come down from the mountain and walk among the harves.

2010 Post - Matthew 8-9:  A Ministry of Healing