Following Jesus: The God who heals
Passage: Matthew 8:14-17
Preacher: Mark Kingston
Sermon Summary: The God Who Heals (Matthew 8:14-17)
Two years ago, a kidney stone hit me like a freight train. A special searing pain that once experienced isn’t easily forgotten! We prayed and the pain vanished. A real miracle. But two years later? The pain returned with a new stone! W prayed the same prayers, but this time there was no instant healing. I felt every jagged, merciless moment of that stone’s journey…
What do you do with that? How you cope when your prayers for healing seem to go unanswered?
Healing is complicated. We believe in it. We pray for it. Sometimes we see it. Sometimes we don’t. And over time, that can wear us down. We stop asking. We stop expecting.
Then we come to Matthew 8.
Jesus, fresh from proclaiming the Kingdom, starts demonstrating by healing people. A leper - healed. A centurion’s servant - healed. Peter’s mother-in-law - healed. And then all the sick in town - healed! Matthew ties it all to Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.” Healing isn’t just a wave of Jesus’ hand. It costs Him something. He carries our suffering.
So what does that mean for us? Well, what if we started asking for God to heal again? What if we made space for God to move? What if we took a risk and prayed for healing to flow? And what if we asked God to give us deep compassion for people who needed healing? That caring deeply - having our hearts broken for others - is fertile ground for God’s healing power.
God healed people then and he heals people now. And don’t forget - one of the names for God in the Bible is Yahweh Rapha: “I am the God who heals you.”
Questions
Honest Reflection on Unanswered Prayers
Have you ever prayed for healing, whether for yourself or someone else, and felt like nothing changed? How did that experience impact your faith, your hope, or your willingness to pray again? If you're comfortable, share your story with the group (if you’re doing this in a small group setting).Stories of Healing
Have you or someone you know ever experienced healing: physical, emotional, or spiritual? What happened, and how did it impact you or those around you?Jesus Demonstrating the Kingdom
In Matthew 8, Jesus doesn’t just talk about the Kingdom, He demonstrates it by healing lots of people. As you read this passage, what stands out to you? What might it have been like to be there and see this first hand?God’s Heart of Compassion
Jesus healed because He was deeply moved by people’s suffering. Have you ever experienced God stirring your heart with compassion for someone in pain? How did that change you? Did it move you to act in any way?Stepping Out in Faith
Let’s take a risk. If Jesus stood in front of you today and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”, what would you say? If you are doing this in a small group, take a few moments to pray for each another now, asking the Lord for healing and making space for Him to move.
