Bring your problem to Jesus
Recently I have been reading and re-reading the New
Testament book of Matthew. As I have been working my way
through it I have come across a few interesting things.
One that I want to share today comes from Matthew chapters
8 & 9.
As we read through the following passages we will see that
Jesus performed a number of amazing miracles. One thing
that really stood out to me was that when someone had a
problem they took it to Jesus. It didn't matter what it
was, if they took it to Him, He dealt with it. Here are a
few examples.
The man with leprosy
Matthew 8:1-4 NLT - Large crowds followed Jesus as He came
down the mountainside. 2 Suddenly, a man with leprosy
approached Him and knelt before Him. "Lord," the man said,
"if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean." 3
Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," He
said. "Be healed!" And instantly the leprosy disappeared.
4 Then Jesus said to him, "Don't tell anyone about this.
Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take
along the offering required in the law of Moses for those
who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public
testimony that you have been cleansed."
He knelt before Jesus and said if you are willing I will
be healed. Jesus was willing and healed him. Now the
reason why Jesus said to not tell anyone and go and show
the Priest is because Lepers were outcastes from society.
A Priest declared them unclean with Leprosy and only a
Priest could declare them clean and re-admit them to
society.
The Centurion's slave
Matthew 8:5-13 NLT - When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a
Roman officer came and pleaded with Him, 6 "Lord, my young
servant lies in bed, paralysed and in terrible pain." 7
Jesus said, "I will come and heal him." 8 But the officer
said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have You come into my
home. Just say the word from where You are, and my servant
will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the
authority of my superior officers, and I have authority
over my soldiers. I only need to say, 'Go,' and they go,
or 'Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, 'Do
this,' they do it." 10 When Jesus heard this, He was
amazed. Turning to those who were following Him, He said,
"I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in
all Israel! 11 And I
tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over
the world--from east and west--and sit down with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12
But many Israelites--those for whom the Kingdom was
prepared--will be thrown into outer darkness, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13 Then Jesus said
to the Roman officer, "Go back home. Because you believed,
it has happened." And the young servant was healed that
same hour.
He asked Jesus to "say the word" and his servant would be
healed from a distance. Jesus said the word and he was
healed. The Centurion understood authority because he was
a committed soldier. He understood orders and authority.
He knew Jesus had the authority and power of heaven and
Jesus just needed to give the order and it would be done.
The calming of the storm
Matthew 8:23-27 NLT - Then Jesus got into the boat and
started across the lake with His disciples. 24 Suddenly, a
fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the
boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and
woke Him up, shouting, "Lord, save us! We're going to
drown!" 26 Jesus responded, "Why are you afraid? You have
so little faith!" Then He got up and rebuked the wind and
waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. 27 The
disciples were amazed. "Who is this man?" they asked.
"Even the winds and waves obey Him!"
The disciples were terrified as the storm on the lake
threatened their lives. They called to Jesus and He
stilled the storm. In the preceding miracles Jesus healed
peoples bodies. This one is a powerful nature miracle. It
was so powerful that even the Disciples looked at Jesus
differently.
The Paralytic man
Matthew 9:1-8 NLT Jesus climbed into a boat and went back
across the lake to His own town. 2 Some people brought to
Him a paralysed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus
said to the paralysed man, "Be encouraged, My child! Your
sins are forgiven." 3 But some of the teachers of
religious law said to themselves, "That's blasphemy! Does
He think He's God?" 4 Jesus knew what they were thinking,
so He asked them, "Why do you have such evil thoughts in
your hearts? 5 Is it easier to say 'Your sins are
forgiven,' or 'Stand up and walk'? 6 So I will prove to
you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to
forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralysed man and
said, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!" 7 And the
man jumped up and went home! 8 Fear swept through the
crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for
sending a man with such great authority.
Some friends brought the paralytic man to Jesus in faith
that He could heal him. Jesus told him to pick up his mat
and go home. He got up and walked. I like that the man
could not come to Jesus on his own, he needed his friends
to bring him. I wonder who I can bring to Jesus? How about
you too?
The Dead Girl
Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26 NLT - As Jesus was saying this, the
leader of a synagogue came and knelt before Him. "My
daughter has just died," he said, "but You can bring her
back to life again if You just come and lay Your hand on
her." 19 So Jesus and His disciples got up and went with
Him. 23 When Jesus arrived at the official's home, He saw
the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 "Get out!"
He told them. "The girl isn't dead; she's only asleep."
But the crowd laughed at Him. 25 After the crowd was put
outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the
hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle
swept through the entire countryside.
A man came to Jesus and told of his dead daughter. He said
if you touch her, she will live. To me this is amazing
faith. Like the Roman Centurion, the father knew Jesus had
the power and authority. Jesus touched her and she lived.
Jesus had the power over death.
The Sick Woman
Matthew 9:20-22 NLT Just then a woman who had suffered for
twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind Him.
She touched the fringe of His robe, 21 for she thought,
"If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed." 22 Jesus
turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Daughter, be
encouraged! Your faith has made you well." And the woman
was healed at that moment.
The woman who had been bleeding non stop for 12 years came
to Jesus. She knew if she could touch His cloak she would
be healed. She did and she was healed. Like the Centurion
and the father we have previously read about, she knew
where the power for healing came from. It was from
Jesus...even in the midst of a pressing crowd.
The Two Blind Men
Matthew 9:27-31 NLT - After Jesus left the girl's home,
two blind men followed along behind Him, shouting, "Son of
David, have mercy on us!" 28 They went right into the
house where He was staying, and Jesus asked them, "Do you
believe I can make you see?" "Yes, Lord," they told Him,
"we do." 29 Then He touched their eyes and said, "Because
of your faith, it will happen." 30 Then their eyes were
opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them,
"Don't tell anyone about this." 31 But instead, they went
out and spread His fame all over the region.
Two blind men came asked Jesus to have mercy on them. He
asked if they believed He could heal them. They said yes
and they were healed. By addressing Jesus as the Son of
David the men recognised His royal lineage back to David.
It was prophesised that the Messiah would come from the
line of David. So they not only came in faith, but knew
Jesus was the Messiah.
The Mute Man
Matthew 9:32-33 NLT When they left, a demon-possessed man
who couldn't speak was brought to Jesus. 33 So Jesus cast
out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds
were amazed. "Nothing like this has ever happened in
Israel!" they exclaimed.
A man was brought to Jesus who was demon possessed and
could not speak as a result. The demon was driven out and
he was healed. This is another example of someone bringing
a friend or relative to Jesus. Sometimes we are the life
line or conduit that brings people to God. In this case we
see Jesus had authority over the unseen demonic world.
Closing
In all of these cases the people brought their problem to
Jesus. They came in faith or their friends brought them in
faith, and Jesus dealt with their problem and restored the
situation. Nothing was too big or too small. Jesus handled
it all.
The miracles we read about were healing, nature miracles,
bring people back to life and casting out a demon. He had
the power and authority to do amazing things. Some of
which had never been seen in Israel before!
If you are struggling today with an illness, or there is
another type of storm in your life, I would encourage you
to bring it to Jesus today. He is more than willing and
capable of handling it today. Simply come in faith.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, today I bring my problem to You. You know
my situation and my need. I lift it up to You today and I
ask You to intervene. Please bring a miraculous
breakthrough that only You can do. I ask this in Your
name, Amen.
By Dave Quinn
Founder of PASSIONAustralia.org
