Healing with the Lord (Matt. 8:1-17)
Let us bless one another, “Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.” I hope that the work of healing where God is with us will take place today as well. There are things that people can do, and there are things that people cannot do. However, the beginning of all problems is humans thinking they can do everything on their own, because that’s the same thing as saying we don’t need God, and that is the first disease we must be healed of.
If we have this disease of thinking that humans can do anything they want, then we face the result of not being able to do anything. Isn’t this the present reality we are seeing as we live our lives? America must first be healed of their disease of thinking they can do whatever they want. As a result of this disease not being healed, they continue to face problems they cannot solve, like mass shootings, suicides, and addictions. These are incidents where God must intercede. The Triune God must intercede in your life as well in order for the repetitive problems of your family line to be healed as well.
America has so many problems that cannot be healed by politicians or the hospitals. We must wholeheartedly acknowledge this as we go before the Lord today in order to receive His guidance. Jesus Christ came to earth and He gave the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5 to 7, and then He went down into the field. It is important for Christians to hear the Word of God; however, it is also important for us to reveal the power of God in our fields, because I believe your suffering in life comes from the field; it doesn’t come when you worship in church. And that is why the power and the working of God is bound to be revealed in the field, because that is how you receive the answer of overcoming the problems in your field.
The reason you’re in difficulty is because of your field. This is the suffering that has no choice to come because the power of God is not being revealed there. The reason why the churches and the number of Christians are diminishing in the field is because the power of God is not being revealed. If we properly believe, then we will come to life and the field will come to life.
1. Jew – Field of life
1) A man with leprosy (Mt. 8:2)
(1) Must live outside the camp (Lev. 13:46)
The first field that Jesus Christ went into was a field where a man with leprosy approached him. In the Old Testament, leprosy was a disease where anyone who had leprosy had to quarantine themselves and distance themselves from humans. They had to quarantine themselves because it was highly contagious to other people.
(2) Unclean person (Lev. 13:44-45)
These people had to say, “I am unclean, I am unclean,” wherever they went, because that is how people will know that this is someone who must quarantine themselves and they will distance themselves from the leper.
(3) Came to Jesus and knelt before him (Mt. 8:2)
However, this leper is going into the midst of people, where he should not be, and he is kneeling before Jesus Christ. There is no way for anybody to solve this man’s disease. In fact, the reason why people are quarantining the leper is in order to save themselves. But imagine how sincere this man was that he went into the midst of people where he should not have been. Then, he calls out to Jesus, “Lord.”
2) The person who knows who Jesus is
(1) Lord – Ruler of God’s kingdom, King (Mt. 8:2)
The fact that Jewish people are calling Jesus Christ, “Lord,” means they are calling Him God. There are some people who think of Jesus Christ as God and Jehovah Himself, and those are the people who call Him as Lord. The only person they should be able to call “lord” is the emperor of Rome, because the empire of Rome had conquered all the surrounding nations, there is only one lord of all of that land and it is the emperor Caesar. Simply put, they are saying, “There is only one lord or master of the entire world, and that is the emperor Caesar,” but he called Jesus, “Lord.” This means he is confessing that Jesus Christ is the Creator of all the universe, Who is moving all of creation. If you remain your own lord, your problems will repeat. However, if Christ becomes your Lord, then the Kingdom of God will be established upon you.
(2) Christ – Solved the authority of Sin, Satan, Hell
(3) If you are willing, you can make me clean (Mt. 8:2)
Then the leper said, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” The leper does not ask Jesus Christ to make him clean, but he confesses, “if you are willing, you can make me clean.” That is the confession of faith. Jesus is the Lord and He is the Christ. This means that when Jesus Christ Who is the Lord works, then the problems of our curses, sin, Satan, and hell are finished. So, this leper had received grace. You are sitting here right now, but it is not because of your will or decision. You are sitting here simply because God has given you that grace. Normally you aren’t people who should be sitting here; you are people who live according to your own will. But God has brought you here whether He had to break your knees in order to drag you here, or if He had to gently or carefully persuade you, He has brought you here.
3) Healing by Jesus
(1) Jesus reached out his hand and touched him (Mt. 8:3)
“The Lord laid His hand on the leper and the leper became clean,” it means the Lord placed His hand on the leper and he became clean. The Lord of all creation, the One Who is moving everything, and the One Who has created everything in the universe, when His power is revealed, we become clean.
(2) I am willing (Mt. 8:3)
How do we become clean? Jesus Christ gives the Word, “I am willing, be clean!” His Word is very important. The words of people cannot heal, they might comfort us. But today, when the words of God go into your heart and they are really hooked there, then healing will take place.
(3) Word – Cleansed (Mt. 8:3)
Heb. 4:12 says the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates, dividing the heart and soul, the joints and the marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of our heart. The goal of today’s passage is not that a leper became clean. People with leprosy during those times in Israel were deemed as cursed, so people who were cursed could not intermingle with other people. The fact that this was a curse means it was a disease that began from sin. So, until that problem of the curse is resolved, even if the leper became clean, they would have another problem.
If somebody has a disease, then they can go receive healing at a hospital or sometimes through a transcendental meditation movement, or even through religious leaders. However, through this healing, this man was actually healed of a fundamental spiritual disease. As a result of that fundamental spiritual healing, there was a physical healing that followed. There’s a situation where the same problem remains in your family line. When you continue to receive grace through God’s Word, then according to God’s time schedule, that problem is resolved. This is not a time for you to do anything about anyone else, but it is a time to restore yourself through God’s Word. That is worship. There’s a lot of people in our church who say, “All I did was give worship, and these things were healed inside of me,” and that is normal, why? Because healing takes place through God’s Word.
2. Gentile – Field of life
1) Roman Soldier – Centurion (Mt. 8:5)
(1) Came to Jesus (Mt. 8:5)
After this work of healing, there’s another thing that happened. Jesus Christ went to the area of Capernaum. While Jesus Christ was in Capernaum, there was a Roman soldier, and the Roman Empire was colonizing all the nations. And this Roman soldier was a centurion, which is the same as a captain today, and they’re in command of around 100 soldiers, and he calls Him “Lord” as well.
(2) Lord (Mt. 8:5)
There is only one person who should be called “lord” and that is emperor Caesar, and the fact that the centurion is calling a young adult from a colonized nation as “lord” is a miracle. All of the colonizers will not respect their colonized nations; in fact, they look down on them, but the fact that he confessed Jesus Christ is Lord is by God’s grace. It should never have happened, but God makes impossible things happen.
(3) My servant lies paralyzed – Suffering (Mt. 8:6)
Later on, his servant is healed, but even before his servant is healed, he had the grace to call Jesus, “Lord.” You may be highly interested in your problems, but even before that problem, is Jesus Christ truly my Lord? It is possible that you have problems in your family or job, but even before that, is Jesus Christ your Lord in that situation? Before the works take place, there’s something that must take place, and that is you confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. Is He truly the Lord who can move my whole life? Is He truly my master who can move my entire life? Is the master of my business truly the Lord?
That is the spiritual healing we must receive first. If you’re not able to make that confession, then you yourself will be the lord, then what happens? You have no choice but to face your limitations. Not only will you face your limitations, but you will face a problem that you cannot see, because all the masterpieces you can make will only result in problems.
However, if today, you make the confession that Jesus is Lord and He is the Christ, that in itself is the blessing. The reason the centurion had come before Jesus Christ is because his servant. A servant is someone who is simply a captive of war, and you take them to your home. And this centurion says, “My servant lies at home, paralyzed, suffering terribly.” A servant is somebody that people back in those days would simply throw away and get a new servant, but I think the centurion thought very preciously of people. This man was paralyzed, meaning in today’s terms, it may be something like a stroke or heart attack where they’re not able to move their body, and there’s no solution for that. The centurion could have gone and bowed down to his own gods, but instead, he goes to Jesus.
2) Jesus – Centurion
(1) Should I come and heal him? (Mt. 8:7)
(2) Word – Will be healed (Mt. 8:8)
Then the Lord asked, “Shall I come and heal him?” The Lord says, “I will go and heal him,” but the Centurion says, “Lord, you do not need to come, just say the Word and I believe he will be healed.” This man is a soldier, and in the military, they have very good discipline in the order of command. There is no reason for a captain or a commander to go anywhere; if they simply speak a command, that command is carried out through the order of command. The centurion confesses, “You are the Lord of all Lords.” If you just say the Word, then of course my servant will be healed.” Your faith can heal your family, just as by the faith of the centurion, his servant was healed.
(3) Faith greater than anyone in Israel (Mt. 8:10)
Jesus Christ says regarding the centurion, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such great faith.”
(4) Word- Healing according to faith (Mt. 8:13)
Then in Mt. 8:13, Jesus says to the centurion, “Go, and it will be done just as you believed it would.” The centurion had faith in Jesus Christ, but I’m not sure the servant below him did, too, or the servant might have believed later on, after the healing took place. However, what is the Word the Lord is trying to tell us right now? It is saying that the result of believing Jesus Christ is Lord and Jesus works is healing. You would like to solve your problems quickly, but that’s incorrect. You must first make the confession of faith that the One Who can heal the problem, Jesus Christ, is my Lord in order for Jesus to begin working.
We have financial problems? Even that is a disease, because we suffer because of that. We suffer from our disease, but we also suffer from financial problems. We also suffer if we have mental problems. When we have mental problems, whether it’s visible externally or not, we and the people close to us suffer so much. There are some people who commit suicide, and the suicide rate is increasing right now. There was a statistic that was released that during the COVID pandemic, the number of suicides among young adults increased by 20-30%. This is not talking about people who died of the disease of the coronavirus, but because of suicide during the pandemic.
Why would they commit suicide? Because there was no other way for them to live; these young people have no hope. So, the pandemic is a problem, but the pandemic is not the real problem; is Jesus their Lord? Until these words go into these people, this is a decision they have no choice but to make. America which has always emphasized human rights did not acknowledge the Lord’s sovereignty during the pandemic, and this is the result. Human rights are important, right? But they never talk about the sovereignty of the Lord. They talk so much about human rights and if we have human rights, we should be able to do whatever we want, but now these young adults are trapped because of the pandemic.
People run out on the freeway to commit suicide, and it’s not because they have some financial problem. They have no problems, but it’s a problem inside them. If they had just acknowledged the Lord’s sovereignty, then they would’ve wondered why the Lord had allowed this pandemic to happen, and that would be their way to live. But because they were taught that the authority of humans is everything, when they face a problem that humans cannot solve, their only solution is suicide.
The word, “Lord,” today means someone who acknowledges the Lord’s sovereignty. Even in the midst of war, when the people around you are getting shot and killed, you must acknowledge the Lord’s sovereignty that life and death are in His hands, and only that person will not receive a mental problem. Imagine what a shock it would be to be in the American military and have your friends shot and killed. Death is not the real problem, but here, this person never imagined their friend would die, but they died from a gunshot. This is something we cannot understand. “How could my friend die, and how could he die in such a pitiful way like a gunshot from the enemy?” This person would be okay if they could handle that shock, but who works through that shock? It is Satan. We must acknowledge God’s sovereignty. God is the One Who gives us life and the One Who calls us away. If we acknowledge God’s sovereignty, even in the midst of war, then you can overcome the traumas of war.
America is a nation that has been continuously waging wars since World War I, and when all the men were fighting in the war, the women had to work in the fields, and that’s when they started emphasizing women equality and rights. During that time, there were so many mental and spiritual trauma that happened. Imagine what happened to the America family, then.
Now the suicide rate is increasing because of the pandemic, even if we’re not in a a war, but the one who acknowledges God’s sovereignty will see the way. If somebody sees an economic crisis or financial problem and they recognize God’s absolute sovereignty, they will see a way. Before you talk about financial problems, I hope you will confess who is the Lord of finances. Before your family suffers, I hope you will confess who is the Lord of your family by faith. Before you say your business is so difficult and suffer because of it, I hope you will confess who is the Lord of your business. When the Lord controls everything as the Lord, then the works of healing take place.
3) Gentile – Salvation
(1) Many will come from east and the west – Salvation (Mt. 8:11, Mal 1:11)
In Matthew 8:11, Jesus Christ says, “Many will come from the east and the west,” meaning Gentiles all around the world “will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” Meaning this is the same Word that God gave to Abraham and again in Mal. 1:11, 400 years before Jesus Christ is born, and these words are being fulfilled through the Roman Centurion.
(2) Israelite descendants – Lost hold of salvation (Mt. 8:12)
The Jewish people thought they were the only ones who received salvation, but in Mt. 8:12, it says, “If anything, you will be bound to hell,” and that’s what this means. They will gnash their teeth and weep in darkness because the Lord of all Lords, Jesus Christ, is here, but they don’t believe in Him. When we talk about hell, people think, “We only know once we know.” Hell is eternal, unconditional suffering. For the people who are doomed to go to hell, they are revealed on earth because they continuously suffer on earth as well. They suffer here and then go to eternal hell. But for the people who go to heaven, they enjoy Jesus Christ’s peace and happiness here before they go to heaven.
(3) Began Gentile salvation ministry
Healing the servant is not the main point of today’s message, the main point is that this was the beginning of Jesus Christ’s ministry to save the Gentiles. Why did God tell us to make disciples of all nations and proclaim the gospel to all people? That has always been God’s plan. Your business and studies must be aligned with the rest of the world in order for this blessing to be given to you. The churches must set their focus on multiethnic people and all of the Gentiles in order to satisfy God’s desire. Then even the way we prepare our lunches must be suitable for many different nations. We shouldn’t just say, “Me, me,” and only make foods that I like, because the Lord’s desire is that people from all nations will worship together and have fellowship together, and we must align ourselves with that desire. Don’t you think that’s the reason why God made America a superpower nation? Then my business must also be aligned with those people. I must prepare my studies now so I can save many people from different nations in the future.
3. Fulfillment of the word – Healing
1) Peter’s mother-in-law (Mt. 8:14)
(1) Fever (Mt. 8:14)
Jesus’ next healing is when He goes to Simon Peter’s house, who is one of His disciples. Peter’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. Back in those days, there was no solution for fevers, because if someone has a fever, the law forbids touching that person. Jesus Christ goes into Peter’s house and sees that his mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever.
(2) Touched her hand – Healing (Mt. 8:15)
(3) Wait on Him – Disciples (Mt. 8:15)
The Lord touched her hand and she was healed. When the Lord of all creation touches your hand, it means God’s works are going to be relayed to you. There were many people who were healed but they were not recorded specifically, but it says here that she got up and began to wait on Jesus. Most people receive healing and only think about themselves, so that is the end for them, however, this woman began to serve Jesus. This means she became a disciple who continuously follows after Jesus. This woman’s daughter is Peter’s wife. Then this mother, just like her daughter, was with Peter everywhere their ministry went. There is no record of any other disciples’ or apostles’ wives following their ministry. However, Jesus Christ had hidden and prepared these disciples and God does this work. After you receive healing or after your problem is resolved, I pray you will not turn back to your own ways, but you will become a disciple Who follows after the Lord.
2) Demon-possessed (Mt. 8:16)
Then when evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Jesus. If somebody is demon-possessed, it’s invisible to our eyes, but in today’s words, it will be revealed as a mental illness. Itf somebody has a physical disease, you can see it. However, if somebody is demon-possessed, then sometimes it may be revealed visibly but most times it is not. This existed back in Biblical times as well as today. If that is treatable by medication, that is not demon-possession. If something could be revealed by counseling or therapy, that is not demon-possession. However, the disease or mental illness that is a result of demon-possession cannot be healed by any other way, including doctors, therapy, or medication. Depression might be a result of that possession, that’s why people commit suicide. The result of depression is being dragged towards suicide, and in the midst of that, if they are treatable by medicine, that is not a result of demon-possession. The mental illnesses that are a result of demon-possession cannot be healed regardless of how much medical or scientific advancement America has.
(1) Word (Mt. 8:16)
(2) Drive out demons (Mt. 8:16)
(3) Healed all the sick (Mt. 8:16)
It says here that Jesus Christ drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. Healing takes place only by the words of Jesus Christ; nothing else heals. Some people wonder, “Am I possessed by a demon?” Ephesians 4:26-27 says even Christians become demon-possessed, because this is the Word that Apostle Paul said to the Christians of Ephesus. There are some people who are very angry, and yes it’s possible for us to get angry, but if you continue in that anger, Satan can use that as a foothold. People have emotions so they can get angry, just as they can get happy or sad, but make sure that this anger does not persist throughout the day.
Do not let the sun set on your anger so you do not sin. It means, “Quickly hold to Jesus Christ.” When does this happen? Our scars. If somebody is scarred and somebody touches that scar, they get angry, but if you just let that stay there, then Satan will use that as a foothold to seize that person. Is there anyone around you who seems almost psychotically angry? It’s because of this disease. How can a demon go into a person if they believe in Jesus? Then that’s the same question, how does a demon go into Adam and Eve when they don’t believe in God? Adam believed in God, so how did Satan go into him? He goes in through your thoughts and your heart. Satan cannot touch your spirit, but he can control your thoughts, your heart, and emotion, and drag you around, and when he does that, he doesn’t do that out of nowhere; without a doubt, he uses the same foothold to get in, and those are our scars. Almost everybody received scars from your family, and these kids are getting scars from their schools. You must not let that remain because if you let that scar remain, Satan will use it as a foothold to go in and change that into anger or wrath.
If we’re demon-possessed or seized by a demon, it means we cannot control ourselves. Because this person is under so much suffering, the way to resolve their suffering is drugs. Why do kids take drugs from such a young age? These kids are suffering. Have you ever seen someone who does drugs because they’re so happy? Have you seen anyone who drinks alcohol because they’re so happy? Ever since people are young, they have been using alcohol and drugs in order to forget their suffering. Because they are not able to overcome their suffering with the Word of the gospel, the way they struggle to survive is through substances.
That is why, these children must be able to hear these words through counseling. These kids do not open the doors of their heart, they are closed so tightly, especially to their parents. They will never say this out loud. Even if you tell them to tell you their problems, but they will not; later on, they explode. So what it means to counsel with these kids is that you are on the same level as these kids and to treat them well. The reason why there are so many shootings in America is because all this anger in people is exploding and they have this gun that they can use to kill a certain number of people. The fact that there are so many shootings happening in America, which is the greatest superpower nation, means that that is how great America is.
These kids are not saying it out loud, they’re just carrying it, and once they graduate college or graduate high school and go to college, that is when this is exposed. The reason this is revealed when they go into college is because then they can live independently and that’s when they express themselves. Before that point, the kids had no ability to live independently, so they just endured it. When the parents fight, this all goes in as scars to the children. If the parents do drugs or drink, all of that goes into these kids as a shock. “How can my mom do this? How could my dad do this?” All of this goes in as shock or trauma to the kids but they don’t say it out loud.
When the kids are being bullied or outcasted at school, they don’t talk about it in the house because the kids will only tell their problems to someone who they think can solve the problem, but the parents will just say something else. When this stays inside is when Satan goes into this person and this anger is revealed. This is the reason why in this nation, where anybody can receive an education and anybody can receive financial support, these problems are happening because of these problems.
Humans cannot be resolved unless it is by the work of God’s Word, so especially while these children are young, just one day a week on Sundays is not enough; we must train them with the words of the gospel, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, because these problems come when we are young. And when I look at my life, it was when I was young. “How could my parents always fight like this?” It seemed like none of the other families were fighting like this, so it was such a shock to me. I was so embarrassed and ashamed because of my parents.
If your father is a gangster, then your kids will be embarrassed. They don’t say it out loud, because that’s their father, but they are embarrassed, they want to hide it, then the problem has already begun. That is why the spiritual problems of the parents get relayed to their children exactly. The heart of the parent says, “Even though I have so many problems and suffer, I want to raise my children to be correct,” but that’s not how it works out because these children receive direct influence from their parents, so things don’t work out the way the parents want. That is why there is no way for someone to change at a young age, other than through the words of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit.
3) Jesus Christ (Is. 53:4)
(1) Our infirmities – Took up (Mt. 8:17)
(2) Disease – Bore (Mt. 8:17)
(3) Fulfillment of the word (Mt. 8:17)
The reason why all of these things happened in today’s scripture, is not a random coincidence, but it is to fulfill the words of Isaiah 53, that He “took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.” It was to fulfill the words of Isaiah 53:4, “You took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.” Our weaknesses can be many different things, our spiritual, mental, financial weaknesses, and there are diseases that follow that weakness. The Lord has taken that responsibility and burden from us upon Himself instead, and in order to fulfill those words, Jesus Christ did these ministries of healing.
Conclusion
I will conclude again. Our interest and God’s interest is not in the leprosy being healed, or that the fever was healed. You may be interested in the suffering of your finances, or your children, or your life.
1. Jesus Christ – Fundamental healing
But God is interested in something else, God is interested in whether you make the confession of faith that Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life. According to your confession of faith, Jesus begins to work, and the result of Jesus’ work is healing.
2. Kingdom of God – King, reign
Not only is Christ the Lord of your church, but is Christ the Lord in your family? Is Jesus Christ the Lord even in the midst of unsolvable, unrelenting problems? You say you suffer financially, but is Jesus Christ the Lord of your finances? That is the way the Lord works. In today’s worship, it is confessing that Jesus is the Lord of all things.
3. Word, prayer – Healing
Through our prayers, praise, offering, through everything, we are confessing that He is our Lord. As a result of that, the Lord gives us His Word and that is the work of healing. I believe God will give you the faith so that not only will you be healed, but all of the people related to you will also receive the work of Christ’s healing. Because by your faith, God is a God Who can work, transcending time and space, to heal your fields. May you and I not only be members of the church who gather together, but also who do the works of healing and revealing Christ’s power in the field. When you hold onto the covenant God gave you, through His Word and pray, then He will work in your field according to that Word.
Message Prayer
Let us pray.
Offering Prayer and Newcomer Prayer
God, we thank You. We confess Jesus is the Christ, and may You establish Your Kingdom in us. Allow us to make the confession of faith that Jesus is our Lord in every aspect of our lives so that the works of the Lord’s healing may take place in all the aspects of suffering, including mental, spiritual, and financial. Allow us to be the spiritual ambassadors of Christ to deliver the answer of Jesus Christ’s healing to all those who are suffering as they do not know in the field. We have returned Your material blessings as the Lord of all finances. We pray that You will work your blessings upon this offering to save the future generations and all nations. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
Benediction
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the unending love of God, and the indwelling, working, guidance, and communion of the Holy Spirit, be upon all the people of God, the multiethnic people, and the remnants, and their businesses and studies, who desire to be spiritual ambassadors of Christ to do the works of healing upon many people by confessing Jesus Christ is the Lord in every aspect of their lives, be with them from now until forevermore always, amen.