Have you ever been to a doctor and after examination were told your problem was not in their field of specialization? Therefore, you would need to find a different specialist. The times of having one doctor that covers all the bases of our health are over. Not only do we have specialists such as orthopedics, or cardiologists, but those fields also branch out. In an orthopedic clinic, you may have several different doctors that treat different bones of the body. The hip specialist will not touch the knee or the shoulder and vice versa. In cardiology, there are a multitude of areas also. In Matthew 14:34-36 we find Jesus healing all sorts of sick people. With Jesus, no specialization is needed. He is God in the flesh and is the Great Physician.
When a doctor is very successful, it becomes extremely difficult to get an appointment. When you do get an appointment, you may sit and wait for hours because they are overbooked. Our Great Physician is different from all the others you have ever heard about or seen. You don’t need an appointment and He is open twenty-four hours a day seven days a week.
In Matthew 14:34-36, we find the Great Physician, Jesus, at Gennesaret. He recently had been with multitudes where he fed over 5000 people. He left them and sent His disciples in a boat across the Lake of Gennesaret, while He went to pray. No doubt, after a long day He desired to have solitude time with His Father. When He had finished praying, He proceeds to walk on the water to the disciples. This is the miracle of Peter walking on the water. By the time they reached shore word had spread of the miracle worker. They welcomed Him and the men of the area sent out a message to all those in the country around them. The instructions were to bring your sick and diseased.
When the people came to Him, they had great faith in Him. In Matthew 14:36 we find their faith was so great all they needed to do to be healed was touch the hem of His garment. He did not need to give them a prescription and send them home for healing over a period of time. He did not need to ask what was wrong or what their symptoms were. All they needed to be healed was simple faith in the one who can do anything. Also, I want to take note of the faith of the men that told everyone. They believed Jesus could heal all the diseases and they were seeking to get everyone in their area to Jesus.
Matthew 14:34-36 “And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.”
How can we learn and apply the principles from this event?
First, Jesus can heal anyone at any time. He is not limited in any way. It does not matter what the sickness is Jesus is fully capable. We must learn to first call on Jesus for healing. We may not be healed in a miraculous instantaneous way as these people were, but if it is Jesus’ will to heal, He is capable. Sometimes, our suffering is necessary to draw us closer to Him or it may be to show others where our faith lies. Our sickness may be unto death where we will experience the perfect healing forever. Jesus may be ready for us to come home to Him! Wow, what a miracle!
Second, we are to bring people to Him. Those who were sick and diseased in Gennesaret, and the surrounding area would not have known Jesus was there, or that He could heal them had it not been for the men who spread the word. We are to spread the word about who He is. He is the Great Physician, the healer of broken hearts, the healer of physical problems, but most of all the healer of a sin-sick soul that will spend eternity somewhere. This physician specializes in whatever the need is. He can do it all, but He desires and commands us to do our part to get others to Him. In Matthew 28:18 because all power is His, He will enable us to tell others. He will defend us when needed. The Holy Spirit will remind us of His words when we are seeking to tell others. Note, He can only bring to your memory what you have studied first. We are to go and tell and He will do the work in their hearts. When we are weak, He will make us strong. He will supply the power if we will obey.
Matthew 28:18-19 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in the earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
Why do we not tell everyone we meet who He is and what He has done for us? Could it be that we are selfish and do not care about the eternity of others? Could it be that we do not believe Jesus will heal their sin-sick soul, or that they will not listen? What is your excuse? What will you say when you stand before God and He asks you why you were reluctant to spread the news everywhere you had an opportunity?
