Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. Matthew 4:23
Picture it: Jesus, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, walked through villages in Galilee, west of the Sea, teaching people. They were asked questions and they answered. They discussed what God’s Kingdom would look like by describing what God looks like, how He is love, mercy, forgiveness, patience, justice, and so much more. The “good news” they proclaimed was that the Kingdom of Heaven had come to earth and God Himself wanted them to be a part of it. He invited people to join His kingdom.
The people Jesus encountered were looking for something more physical. All their lives they had been taught, in synagogue, that the Messiah would physically overthrow Israel’s oppressors. Now, they meet this traveling rabbi, who they thought might just be Messiah, and He talked about the Kingdom of God the Father being a kingdom of spirit. God would restore to Israel the glory He promised by restoring their hearts and souls, removing spiritual barriers they, themselves, had erected. Nobody had preached like this in memory. Could it be that the leaders of the faith had interpreted the ancient scriptures wrong?
Think about it: Jesus went to the synagogues – the local Jewish churches – and taught there. He didn’t just preach in the open, or in the streets, or in homes. He went to where the law of God was taught and He taught there. His words and actions were both calming and confrontational.
And He healed every disease. In context, it doesn’t mean they healed every person. It does mean they healed every kind of disease that they encountered. If you were sick, He could heal you of it, and in doing so, teach you that sickness starts deep inside, where spirit meets flesh and bone.
Why go over all this? I mean, it’s about a historical teacher thousands of years ago (or at least that’s what the world says). You know why. And, since you know why, perhaps you could share with someone else? Picture what Jesus did all over His home area. Picture Him and His disciple students walking along country roads, meeting new people, healing, and talking about the Good News of God with them there and then. Think of what it must have been like to personally encounter Him as another man, as someone you could see and hear and touch. Now, think of Jesus as He who will one day return in that form but, for now, as someone unseen who touches your heart and heals all the woes of our tired souls. Picture this because it’s all true.
For more reading: Mark 1:25 & 39, Mark 3:10, Luke 4:15 & 44, Luke 7:22, Acts 10:38, Acts 20:25, Acts 28:23 & 31, Matthew 4:24
Lord Jesus, I see You and believe in You. All You have ever said to my heart is truth.
Practical Proverbs 