He Took our Illnesses and Bore our Diseases
We have finished the Sermon on the Mount and now we witness Jesus coming down from the mountain. In the next two chapters, 8 & 9, we read of Jesus doing 10 great miracles. For the most part, these are healing chapters (Matt. 8:17). Let’s look at one or two examples.
In the healing of the leper (8:1-4) we find one of our great sources of doubt removed. We tend to not doubt God’s ability to heal, but tragically we doubt His willingness. In these verses we see a willing Savior transforming an individual suffering under one of the most feared conditions of his day. The good news of our Lord Jesus conquers all! Your salvation in Christ lacks nothing!
The Centurion is held up to us as a model of faith (8:5-13). His faith was founded not on himself, but on the words of Jesus. He demonstrated a mature understanding of spiritual authority, having rejected superstition altogether which must have been prominent in his day. He came to Jesus and he received. Verse 13 merits our meditation: “Let it done to you as you have believed.”
