The Healing Ministry of Jesus. Part 2.

09 Jul 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 8:50b.      ‘Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.’

And it seems like our second wind day, Wednesday, is going to be another warm but cloudy day, with the possibility of rain later in the day. But once the stuff that’s falling isn’t white and cold, I don’t think we really care. (smile) And it’s certainly nicer to be playing in the rain than in the snow. I remember having fun doing that as a child. But I guess those simple joys of life no longer appeal to today’s sophisticated children, who refuse to leave their televisions, computers, video games and cell phones to go outside to play.

Oh no! Playing outside is not de rigueur, not fashionable in these modern times. That’s why the children are so sickly and obese; too much rich food and sedentary activities, not enough physical stuff. But who am I to tell these modern day wonders how to raise their children eh? (smile) So, since our good God has granted us the privilege of enjoying another day on His wonderful earth, let’s keep our promise to continue looking at some of the individual healing miracles that Jesus performed.

We stopped yesterday where Jesus was asked to leave the country of the Gadarenes on the other side of the lake after healing a demon possessed man called ‘Legion,’  then putting the demons into a herd of nearby swine, who promptly ran down a steep hill into the lake and drowned.  (Luke 8 -26-33) But when he returned home, He found another crowd there waiting for Him, and amongst them was one Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, wanting Jesus to come and heal his twelve year old daughter who was on her deathbed.

But while Jesus was making His way there, with the crowd surrounding Him, a woman who had been sick with and issue (flow) of blood for twelve years, decided that if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ garments she would be healed. And so she fought her way through the crowd ‘Came behind him and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue (flow) of blood stanched (stopped).’ Then Jesus asked who had touched Him? The disciples were astounded that He could ask such a question with the crowd surging all around him.

But Jesus said, ‘Somebody hath touched me: for I perceived that virtue (power) is gone out of me.’ Then the woman realizing what she’d done came and fell down before Jesus and confessed it all. ‘And he said to her, Daughter, be of good comfort (cheer): thy faith hath made thee whole (well); go in peace.’ However, while she was still speaking to Jesus someone from Jairus’ household came and told him to stop bothering Jesus, because his daughter had died. But when Jesus heard it, he said to Jairus, ‘Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.’

Then Jesus went to Jairus’s house with Peter, James and John, and everybody wept and wailed over her death, But Jesus said to them, ‘Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn knowing that she was dead.’ But He put everybody out of the room, took her by the hand, and called, saying, ‘Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat (food). And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.’ And all of that friends, you can find in Luke 8:40-56.

What a busy and unpredictable day that must have been for Jesus. First the demon possessed man on the other side of the lake, then back home, the woman with the issue of blood, and Jairus’ daughter. All one after the other. Oh my people, there are so many individual healings that Jesus did we cannot talk about them all, and we’ll have to be very concise with those we share.

Like this one when Jesus came down from the mountain after the Sermon on the Mount, followed by great multitudes, ‘a leper came and worshipped Him, saying Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, See, thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a testament.’ (Matt. 8:1-4)

And the scholars note some interesting things about that healing, like when Jesus touched the leper, instead of it bringing uncleanness to Jesus, as it would to any other person who touched him, it caused the total cleansing of the leper. And the purpose of Jesus telling him to tell no man was to draw attention away from the miracle itself and appeal to the spiritual need in man. In the gospels the crowds were often attracted  by Jesus’ miracles, but not always by His message.

Shew thyself to the priest is in obedience to the Mosaic Law regarding cleansing. Offer the gift that Moses commanded. Those can be found in Leviticus 14:2-32, where a whole slew of things was laid out for the cleansing of a leper. The scholars say they are typical of Christ’s atonement and the cleansing it provided. For a testimony unto them: that is evidence to the priest that the leper had indeed been cleansed. Brother! It was a rather thorough interrogation, and took some eight days to work through all the stuff.

Then there was the miracle of Jesus in Capernaum when the Centurion asked Him to heal his servant sick of the palsy, (paralyzed and greatly afflicted). Jesus said he would go and heal him. But the centurion replied that he wasn’t worthy for the Lord to come under his roof. He could just speak the word and his servant would be healed. Then he explained about his authority over soldiers who obeyed his orders, and likened Jesus unto himself in that regard. ‘When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great a faith, no, not in Israel. …And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. and his servant was healed in the selfsame hour. ‘(Matt. 8:5-13)

Ah mih bredrin, Jesus was amazed at the strong belief in His healing ability that the Roman unbeliever possessed. Meanwhile His own Jewish people, ridiculed Him and treated His miracles more as a magic show than a real message. And those are just a few of the individual healing miracles Jesus did. You can read about others like the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:17-44), the opening of the eyes of the blind beggar Bartimaeus in Jericho (Mark 10:46-52) and several others if you read and study the life and soul-saving Word of God! (smile)

Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And we’ll be wise if we hold on to the promise that all who endure with Jesus to the very end will enjoy a future more glorious than they can ever ask or imagine. See you there! Much LOVE!

…miracles can only happen…where there is strong belief or true faith…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 March 2023 Luke 18:8b.

04 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 18:8b.       Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

And after the storm comes the calm, with the sunshine shining brilliantly on the snow-covered land, making it truly a winter wonderland! Yes friends, for easy terminology, (smile) we got a good shower of snow yesterday evening, as promised by the weather forecasters. You couldn’t even look through the windows properly because they were all covered with what looked like snowy icicles. (smile) And I can’t get over how beautiful the snow looks when it’s clean and undefiled by man. 

By the way, I know my mas costume for next year carnival already, something based on ‘Ole Man Winter.’ Oh, there’s a tree in my backyard, whose leafless limbs are all covered with snow, like all the other leafless trees, but this one looks just like a carnival costume, with a sort of peacock feather-like tail. So, look for me next year on the big stage in the Big Yard in mih all white costume with plenty sequins and whatever else will provide some radiance to it. (smile) 

But now, as I hear the snow shovels and snow blowers working outside to clean up the snowy mess, I’m losing that pretty snow fantasy, and getting to the reality that it’s dangerous and oh so inconvenient. I don’t care how long you live with it, and how beautiful it might look, I don’t know if you ever get accustomed to cleaning it up and trudging through it. Unfortunately though, it’s all a part of living in the northern climes, and sometimes it does take a lot of faith to conquer it. 

And speaking of faith, I didn’t get any quotes from our friend Anselm this week either, so I guess we’ll just continue with the faith talks of Jesus that we never got finished with yesterday. We left off yesterday where Jesus was on His way to the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader to heal his young daughter, but He got way laid by the woman suffering from the affliction of a blood flow for a long time, who showed her large faith by simply believing that if she could only touch the garments of Jesus she’d be healed. And thus, she pressed through the crowd that surrounded Him, touched His clothes and was immediately healed. 

Now, tell me truthfully, how many of us nowadays would have that kind of faith eh my people? Definitely not too many, not with the way things are currently going. No wonder in the gospel of Luke we find these words. ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart). (Luke 18:1) And that parable deals with the wronged widow and the unjust judge, who doesn’t revere God, or is really interested in meting out justice, but only deals with her because she is persistent and he is tired of her complaints. 

Jesus states: ‘Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge (vindicate) his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge (vindicate) them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?’ (Luke 18:6-8) Now that’s a very good question my brethren? 

And the scholars explain it thus: ‘If an unjust judge acts in this way, how much more hope may God’s children place in God? However, the issue is not God’s faithfulness. It is whether believers will persist in supplication (vs. 7), or whether their patience and perseverance will give out by the time Christ finally returns (vs. 8, see also vs. 1)’  

Yes friends, the problem here is not God’s faithfulness, but man’s! Will we keep doing like Jesus asks in vs.1: ‘pray and not faint or lose heart,’ or we will be exhausted from all the crying and complaining we’ve done to God and stop persevering by the time He returns? We need to keep on keeping on my faithful brethren, regardless of what we undergo, or how long it takes for Jesus to come back! That’s the foundation, the backbone of our faith: NEVER GIVE UP! 

That brings us back to the story of Jairus and Jesus. Looks like we’ll never finish it. (smile) But anyway, just as Jesus was finishing with the woman who had the issue of blood, he heard one of Jairus’ servants tell him that his daughter was dead, so he should now stop bothering Jesus. However, ‘As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue (Jairus), Be not afraid, only believe.’ (Mark. 5:36) What tough words, but very necessary sentiments my people! Belief! That’s where it all begins! You can’t have faith in anything until you believe in something! That’s the long and short of the story! 

Then Jesus continued to Jairus’ house with only His three henchmen, Peter, James and John. But when he came to the house there was a crowd inside weeping and wailing. Jesus said to them: ‘Why make ye this ado (commotion), and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him (Peter, James and John), and entereth in where the damsel was lying. 

And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is to being interpreted (translated), Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. And he charged (commanded) them straitly (strictly) that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.’ (Mark 5:39-43) 

And I like how the scholars explain it all. ‘The crowd would eventually know of course, that the girl had been raised from the dead. Jesus wants the fact to be concealed for the time being, giving Him time to depart and avoid ostentatious acclaim. Also, the parents will still be able to keep the details of the resurrection secret from the scornful unbelievers outside the door. Jesus’ custom all along was to make Himself known to earnest seekers, but to conceal His true identity from skeptics.’ 

That brings up another very important question my brethren: which group are we in, the earnest seekers, or the unbelieving skeptics? And according to our answer, so will the Holy Spirit of Jesus deal with us. It’s ever so necessary to believe, to have faith in Jesus, if we want to enjoy the benefits that accrue from Him. Note Jesus’ admonition to the disciples who could not heal a demon possessed boy. ‘Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible to you.’ (Matt. 17:20) 

Ah my fellow saints, a whole lot of faith is not needed to follow Jesus, but you do need some faith, be it as small as a grain of mustard seed. Much LOVE!

…truly believe…and faith will come… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ