Tag: lame

33.n. “I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

 

Matthew 15:39  Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

 Psalms 50:15     and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

 Luke 17:15-18    Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;  and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.  Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

Whatever our case is, the only way to find ease and relief, is to lay it at Christ’s feet, to submit it to him, and refer it to his disposal. Those who would have spiritual healing from Christ, must be ruled as he pleases. See what work sin has made; what various diseases human bodies are subject to. Here were such diseases as fancy could neither guess the cause nor the cure of, yet these were subject to the command of Christ. The spiritual cures that Christ works are wonderful. When blind souls are made to see by faith, the dumb to speak in prayer, the maimed and the lame to walk in holy obedience, it is to be wondered at. (Henry)

Medical procedures in our time continue to evolve and fix or lessen a multitude of ailments and prolong life. Here, though, we see lame, deaf, mute, crippled, etc…. are healed by the power of God. There is no truer healing than that which is of God. It was easy to recognize it as the power of God.  There was no procedure or surgeries or follow-up visits. They were healed. They glorified God because that is the only explanation for the healing. Fast forward to today. We are not easily given to the thought of being healed by God’s power but rather by medical procedures and doctors experts in their field of medical studies. Who is it that gives the mind of man the ability to learn? Who is it that gives the mind of man new understandings of medical procedures? Who is it that allows the mind of man to understand and apply new science and technology? Far too often man is given credit for what God does and is doing.  We do well to always recognize and give glory and honor to God for any and all good things that He has allowed to help mankind. 

32.j. “Go and tell John what you hear and see”

 

Matthew 11:1  When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

 Psalms 146:8    the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.

 Isaiah 29:18    In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.

 Isaiah 35:4-6    Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;  then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

 Isaiah 42:6-7     “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,  to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

 Luke 7:21-22    In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight.  And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.

To those seeking a revolution and overthrow of the Roman dominance, these acts of service Jesus did would seem small and insignificant. To those who were healed by His humble acts of service would surely conclude these acts much more significant and important than a revolution.   Jesus wanted to assure both John and his disciples that He was the Messiah. But He also reminded them that His power would be displayed mostly in humble acts of service, meeting individual needs, and not in spectacular displays of political deliverance. It is truly in these acts of humble service we set our minds on honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ. How many preachers seek after bigger and bigger mega-churches, more and more recognition, more money, more radio stations, more media spotlights, more social media hits, etc….? It is in humble service we face each day and determine with an intentional choice to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. 

It is in steadfast firmness we choose to day after day continue to do humble service in where and what God has purposed our life. We do well to stay in line with His plans and purpose and seek not to do more and certainly not do less.

32.b. “Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

 

Matthew 9:1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

 Psalms 32:1-2  Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

 Isaiah 44:22   I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.

 Jeremiah 31:33-34   For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

 Romans 4:6-8    just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:  “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;  blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

 Isaiah 35:5-6  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;  then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

 Isaiah 43:25   “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

We also note that the presence of so much sickness among Israel was evidence of their unfaithfulness to the covenant and their low spiritual condition. God gave them the opposite of what He promised under Exodus 15:26: If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.

I am not sure this man’s paralysis had anything to do with a particular sin.  Could it be that Jesus wanted all to know the importance of sin and the need for forgiveness? Physical healing has benefit this side of eternity but does nothing in terms of eternity destiny.  I wonder how many people would choose physical healing over the forgiveness of sin? By far the better choice would be forgiveness of sin. This man’s friends had faith even though it does not mention the faith of the paralytic. Their faith drove them to bring their friend to the feet of Jesus Christ. I doubt they were thinking of “forgiveness of sin” being the result of their faith.  They wanted their friend to be healed. yet, Jesus gave far better healing, a healing of the soul with eternal value. What was the reaction of the Scribes – within their own minds they proclaimed Jesus to be blaspheming. Know their thoughts Jesus address the evil that is in these scribes’ hearts. Jesus pardons sin first and this is seen as an act against God by the very people (scribes) who should have been able to recognize and know Jesus was the promised Messiah. Certainly, they were familiar with prophecy in scripture. Psalm 103.3 “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, and healeth all thy diseases.”

Jesus knew the faith of the paralytic and his friends. Jesus knew the condition of the paralytic’s heart regarding sin. Jesus knew the thoughts of the Scribes. We can see physical healing when it takes place, but forgiveness of sin in another person is beyond our knowing. Jesus gave proof of His ability o forgive sin by healing the paralytic. People seeing the healing gave glory to God. You have to imagine this act of healing gave pause to the Scribes. Surely some of them took it to heart, and yet, others would not. 

Healing of the heart and soul through faith in Jesus Christ results in eternal life. Rejecting this healing results in eternal Hell and torment.

15.u. “And many followed him, and he healed them all”

John 6:1  After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

Matthew 4:24-25    So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.  And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Matthew 12:15    Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all

Matthew 15:30-31    And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them,  so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

Fame spread and large crowds, great crowds, and many followed Jesus.  The fame of His healing the sick, healing those possessed by demons, healing the blind, mute, and lame all pointed to Jesus being who the prophets spoke of hundreds of years before.  Can’t you hear what people were saying?  He healed my blind son, He cast the demon out of my brother, He healed my paralyzed friend, My dad can hear again, my daughter is no longer sick……. and the word spread about Jesus.  Signs and wonders were all given out of grace and mercy but they were also given to show that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.  Many glorified God because of the miracles that Jesus did.  Don’t you wonder how many came to the knowledge and understanding of the Gospel after Jesus was crucified?  Do you wonder how many hearts were broken when He was hung up on the cross?  How hard would that have been to see the very man who healed you or a friend or a family member being beaten, whipped, and hung on a cross?  Wouldn’t your heartache?  Wouldn’t you have questions?  Wouldn’t you say this is all wrong?  You have to know there were those in the crowds who doubted Jesus Christ even though they saw what He did.  People today are healed still today but I would have to say that there is more doubt than ever before in the history of mankind.  Jesus Christ is still the same though we have changed and thoughts about Him have dwindled.  Our culture shouts out that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are nothing more than fairytales or man-made stories of weak men.  In their hardened hearts they have set their path straight to eternity in hell.   In their wisdom, they deny signs, wonders, and miracles that have been recorded for us so that our faith in Jesus Christ would continue to grow and we would forever continue to give glory to God.

15.k. “Do you want to be healed?”

John 5:1  After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

The crippled man assumed Jesus knew how things worked at the Pool of Bethesda, and he explained to Jesus why it wasn’t possible for him to be healed. Quite naturally, the man couldn’t think of any other way for his need to be met.  The man was an interesting case of hope combined with hopelessness. He had hope, or would never have come to the Pool of Bethesda. Yet once there, he had little hope to be the favored one to win the healing that day.  “The invalid man does what we nearly all do. He limits God’s help to his own ideas and does not dare promise himself more that he conceives in his mind.” Jesus told the man to do what he could not do. Jesus challenged the man to believe Him for the impossible. It’s easy to imagine that the man’s first reaction was, I can’t do that – why even try? Yet something wonderful prompted the man to say, If this man tells me to do it, I will try. Jesus guided the man towards a response of faith.  Do you notice that the invalid did not ask any question of Jesus?  He did not say, “how am I supposed to get up and walk?”  He just did what Jesus told him to do, he got up and walked.  He believed in Jesus who spoke the words to him. Jesus did not touch him.  It was by His word the man was healed.

There is no limit to the power of Jesus Christ.  In all things, He is mightier than whatever it is we are facing.  In all things Jesus is supreme.  At His word all creation took place.  At His word nations were defeated, lions tamed, seas calmed, the sick healed, and the dead brought back to life.  It is faith in Him that we will find peace for today and hope for tomorrow.

12.y.O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you”

Zephaniah 3:14    Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” “I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you. At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.

Psalms 42:2-4    My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?  My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

Psalms 63:1-2   O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Jeremiah 31:9    With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Romans 11:25-26    Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

Even in our trials and troubles, God is with us.  “Be glad and rejoice with all your heart”. “The Lord is with you”, “I will rescue”, “I will gather”, “I will bring you home”, “I will give”, and “I will restore”.  These are all from God.  When all around us may be failing and falling apart, God has not changed and His promises are true, His grace, mercy, and love are steadfast, His presences is ever-present, His power to do more than we ask or can imagine is never limited, and all His foes, defiers, and deniers will be defeated and their plans destroyed.  Our God is greater.  Our God is all-powerful, Our God is all-knowing. Our God is all-in-all.  He is our God.  Do not allow fear, confusion, and worry place a cloud over you, blocking you from standing in the light of Our God, savior, redeemer, and King of kings.  He is God Almighty.

10.z. “Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not!”

Micah 4:6   In that day, declares the Lord, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away and those whom I have afflicted; and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalms 38:17    For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me.

Isaiah 35:3-6    Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.  Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;  then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

Ezekiel 34:16     I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD.  I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

Zephaniah 3:19    Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.

Hebrews 12:12-13    Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

What an encouraging Word today.  In all of the fear and worry being proclaimed by social and mainstream media, some founded and some of it not.  At the end of the day, worry and fear are natural emotions that come upon us when we are taken back from our normality.  It is not bad that we have these emotions but to dwell on them and cling to them, and to believe them to be all that is ahead of us is bad, very bad.  We deny God His Glory.  Our faith and trust and reliance give glory to God.  I am sure there is more glory given to God when faith, trust, and reliance have allowed us to surrender fear and worry.  When fear and worry come upon you don’t let it own you and your thoughts.  Turn your thoughts to the promises and protection of Jesus Christ.  He knows the hairs on our head, the cattle on a thousand hills, and no sparrow drops to the ground but that He knows.  He not only is able to give us reprieve from our fear and worry but He is also able to replace it with joy, peace, comfort, courage, strength, and rest.  That old hymn comes to mind; “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full into His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace”