Scripture

Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed.” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

Observation

Jesus comes down from the mountainside with a large crowd following Him. A man with leprosy kneels down before Him and asks to be healed.

Jesus reaches out and touches the man. Instantly the leprosy disappears. Jesus tells him to go to the priest to be examined as a testimony that he has been healed.

In Capernaum a Roman officer asks Jesus to heal his servant, Jesus offers to come to the man’s home, but he says this will not be necessary. The officer knows how authority works and Jesus just has to say the word and the servant will be healed.

Jesus marvels at this gentile’s faith. He declares that the servant has been healed.

Application

The man with leprosy knew that Jesus could heal him if Jesus was willing, Jesus said He was willing and instantly, the man was better.

Many of us have been conditioned to believe that Jesus is no longer willing to heal. We believe He can. but it seems that He doesn’t do it.

Some of this is from the heresy of cessationism – the belief that miracles and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are no longer relevant. Part of it is the materialism of western society that insists that only naturally explicable events can occur.

The truth is that, Jesus is willing and able to heal every kind of sickness, just as He was, when He was physically on earth. We must recover the faith necessary to reach out and receive the gift.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, please forgive my unbelief and help me to put my trust in you for healing for myself and for others. Amen.