20160307 Monday, March 7 2016
Matthew 08: Healings Of Man And Nature

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses ... What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!"

The Holy Spirit of God is the Power of God that created everything and everyone (see Einstein's Holy Spirit Formula). Physical life is part of a LORD-empowered biological cycle (see The Biology Of The Resurrection) that can, if the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) so wills, for a purpose, be replenished to any state. That Power over nature can also be manifested by healing - as a sign for believers, not as a means to live forever in a mortal body. The physical body must, sooner or later, be shed so that eternal life may begin (see also Resurrection and Reincarnation: What's The Difference?).

Immediately after His sermon (see The Salt Of The Earth and Light Of The World Prophecy and The Messiah's Lessons For Living As A True Christian and Houses Of Rock Or Sand) that became known as the "beatitudes" (the English word "beatitude" is derived from the Latin words beatitudo, which means blessedness, and beatus, which means to bless - Latin translations of the New Testament, which was originally written mostly in Greek, use "beatus" where most English translations have "blessed"), the Messiah began a series of healings. Among the first was a leper who was suffering from one of the most feared diseases of human history (see also Leviticus 13: Bacteria).

"8:1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

8:3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

8:4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them." (Matthew 8:1-4 KJV)

Not all of the Roman occupation troops were arrogant thugs imposing their brutal idea of "freedom" on everyone else ("freedom" was merely the label that they gave to their malignant empire; see When Freedom Crosses The Line). Some of the Roman troops repented, in favor of true freedom of the LORD (see The Kingdom Of Freedom and The Declaration Of Repentance).

Some were given a helpful incentive - even some of those who tortured and Crucified the Messiah were converted by what they witnessed through their own evil actions i.e. "27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God" (Matthew 27:54 KJV).

So too, a centurion (a commander of 100 troops) whose servant was seriously ill and in great pain (the fact that he cared at all is evidence that the man had good in him, and the time had come for him to put aside the dead-end arrogance act). The Messiah healed the servant because of the centurion's humility and faith.

"8:5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 8:6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

8:7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 8:9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 8:11 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. 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour." (Matthew 8:5-13 KJV)

Peter's wife's mother was healed for a demonstrative purpose: "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias [i.e. Isaiah] the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (see also What Did The Messiah Read From Isaiah That Day?).

"8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. 8:15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:14-17 KJV)

People are called to understanding and repentance, as made possible by the Holy Spirit, at different times, according to the LORD's Will. Those who are called cannot hang back for the sake of family members who have yet to receive their calling. Everyone has the same opportunity, sooner or later - their time will come. Until then, each must do what they must do in the time that the LORD makes it possible for them to do it (see Why Can't Light Be Hidden?).

"8:18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. 8:19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead." (Matthew 8:18-22 KJV)

The healing even included the weather. Notice again however that it was the Holy Spirit and faith that provided the Power.

"8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 8:25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

8:27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!" (Matthew 8:23-27 KJV)

So too the healing from the infection of "unclean" spirits (see also Halloween: Partying With The Spirits Of Antichrist).

"8:28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

8:30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 8:31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

8:32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 8:33 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. 8:34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts." (Matthew 8:28-34 KJV)

Fact Finder: Why will the resurrections be accomplished in the same way that the original Creation was done?
See Life From The Dust - Past And Future