WAITING FOR SUNDOWN
Matthew 8:16-17 NKJV
16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
"He Himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses."
In the eighth chapter of Matthew there's a whole lot of healing going on. Jesus engaged a leper whose only question was if Jesus was willing to heal him. The leper knew Jesus was able, and when Jesus touched him and declared His willingness, the leprosy was over.
Jesus healed a centurion's servant. This Roman soldier displayed a faith that amazed Jesus. The centurion told Jesus not to bother coming to his house, just say the word, and the servant would be healed. This centurion understood how authority worked and recognized that Jesus was in authority over sickness.
Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law. This healing sets the precedent that the Lord wants mothers-in-law well. Only kidding; healing belongs to all of God's children. This lady had a fever, and Jesus touched her and rebuked the fever, and it left.
And Jesus delivered two demon-possessed men. Not a healing per se but healing and deliverance are definitely related. Both healing and deliverance represent freedom from pain and freedom from oppression.
And in our verses for today, Jesus healed and delivered all that were brought to Him. What is interesting to note is that the people waited for sundown to bring the sick and oppressed to Jesus. Why wait? If you have sick or demonically tormented loved ones, why wait until the evening to bring them to Jesus?
In reading the other gospels, we discover that Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law on the Sabbath. When the sun went down, the Sabbath was over. So the people waited until the Sabbath was over to receive healing. Not wanting to break the laws of the Sabbath, they stayed in discomfort until the Sabbath laws were fulfilled. In essence, they were not waiting for Jesus; He was waiting for them. If they had come before sundown, Jesus would have healed them. He had a history of healing on the Sabbath and infuriating the religious leaders.
What a shame that man-made laws kept these poor people sick longer than they needed to be.
APPLICATION
Jesus is still the Healer of all those who are sick and oppressed. In verse 17, the prophet Isaiah is quoted. In the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, he prophetically spoke of Jesus carrying our sins and also taking our diseases. In this amazing chapter, we get an insight into the redemptive work Jesus accomplished for us in His death, burial, and resurrection.
And today, we still have this prophetic word that applies to our lives. We don't have to wait for God to do something. He has already done something about our sins, so we receive Jesus as our Savior. And God has already done something about our sicknesses, so we receive Jesus as our Healer.
God's healing power has helped every member of my family, from Joy's horrible pancreatitis to the complete restoration of my voice. And God shows no favorites. No need to wait. Regardless of what some people say, He wants you well now!
PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for being my Savior. And thank You for being my Healer. You have never changed. Show me how I can receive from You.