Ministry of Healing
“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (Matt. 9:35).
Through His healing ministry Jesus was overcoming the incursion of death in the fabric of suffering humanity. His future victory over the very kingdom of death was anticipated in His daily healing works. The power of death that came into the world from sin was being defeated. This was particularly illustrated in cases of the various resurrections, including the resurrection of one who had been dead for four days (Mark 5:35–43, Luke 7:11–17, John 11:38–44).
His miracles also served to break down social barriers. The leper felt accepted by Him (Mark 1:41), the Samaritan came back to give thanks (Luke 17:11–17), and He also reached out to a Syro-Phoenician woman and healed her daughter (Mark 7:29, 30). The alienation of humans from each other created by sin was being broken down through Jesus’ reconciling ministry. He was creating a new humanity at peace with each other.
But His miracles also served to restore people to harmony and communion with the Father. Very often His victory over the powers of death led people to believe in Him (John 4:53; 20:30, 31).
Which other methods did Jesus use in His ministry to restore harmony in society and with God? Mark 2:15–17, John 4:39–42.
The gulf of separation between God and humans was bridged not only in His own person—the human and divine Savior—but also through the power of Christ’s words of salvation. To those who received Him, “he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12, NIV). These individuals were born not of the will of the flesh but of God (vs. 13). Jesus Himself was gathering a new humanity reconciled to God, in and through Him. He sought to reconcile humans, not only with God but also with each other, and He did this by eating with them in open fellowship. Through these encounters Jesus was proclaiming that God accepts any person who comes to Him and that His followers should do likewise.
Take a look at your relationships and ask yourself: In what daily, practical ways is my reconciliation with God reflected in the way I treat and accept others?
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