20150904 WILLING

WILLING

Matthew 8:1-3 Large crowds followed Jesus as He came down the mountainside.  (2)  Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached Him and knelt before Him. "Lord," the man said, "if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean."  (3)  Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," He said. "Be healed!" And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

Lepers were deemed unclean, untouchable, and from a human standpoint, beyond hope. Lepers were not sent to the physician, but to the priests who would offer no healing balm, no poultice of relief, instead they would set the individual aside to see what God would do. Would the infection prove to be temporary? Would it be healed? Or would it prove to be an illness of great judgment? Once declared unclean by the priests the diseased individual was shunned, put outside the city and commanded to cover their mouth and proclaim their uncleanness as they made their way from one place to the next. Being shut out from the city meant they were also shut out from the temple and all things holy.

But here we have Jesus, our great High Priest who reaches out and touches the untouchable, giving hope to the hopeless and healing the un-healable. While doing so He says, “I am willing. Be healed.”

The unclean man had faith that Jesus had the power to heal. The only question left was whether Jesus was willing. A man who may not have felt the touch of a human hand in years is suddenly touched by the Divine and healing pours into him and the disease is gone. It is disappeared.

When you are ill, what is the first thing you do? Reach for the aspirin? The cold medicine? The doctor’s phone number? I believe all of these things have their place, but as a believer shouldn’t we turn to Jesus first? How will we know if He is willing or not unless we ask? “You have not because you ask not.” (James 4:2b My own paraphrase)

I wonder how often He is willing, but we are not. Several years ago I was pastoring a small congregation or about 35 people. One Sunday morning I felt strongly impressed to ask those who were ill to come forward for prayer and anointing. There were two ladies in the congregation that day who both suffered terribly from diabetes. One came forward the other did not. The one who did was anointed and prayed over. A week later she had testing done and there was no sign of diabetes in her body.

I asked the other lady why she didn’t come forward. Her reply was something to do with not wanting to steal someone else’s thunder. She continued to suffer from her illness for many years until the symptoms of it eventually took her life.

Jesus is able and often willing to heal. Let us ask and ask and ask until the door is opened unto us.

Father in heaven, Thank You for the healing power You have manifested to us through Jesus and Your Holy Spirit. Please continue to grant miraculous healing to Your saints and to the lost who thereby may be drawn to Your saving grace. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!