I read throughout Matthew 8 and 9 that Jesus heals a leper, a paralytic, a woman with a bleeding disorder, two blind men, a mute man, brings a girl back to life and "many others". Jesus was roughly 30 years old when all of these recorded events took place. Before his ministry kicked off shortly before with his being baptized by John the baptizer, the only glimpse into his developmental years since his birth was of his few days in the Temple at 12 years old.
Here's the thing that struck me yesterday. These people that he healed in Matt. 8 and 9 were probably not the first blind, mute, leprous . . . people he had come across in his life. Granted I am venturing out into probabilities, which gets dangerous fast, but knowing the level of available medicines back then, or lack thereof, couldn't we safely assume that Jesus has encountered a blind man at the city gate? A paralytic man begging for a morsel of food at the market? someone dying in the small, close-knit town of Nazareth? Even today, it is difficult to find someone who could live to be 30 and never know someone who has died.
What I am wondering is, how did Jesus react when He saw these people as a ripe, young 13 or 18 or 24 year old? Certainly His compassion and physical strength would have moved Him to at least lift up a paralytic man and provide him with some food. Surely he would help a blind man get around. The more I think about it, the more I cannot see that the character and passion of Jesus would allow him to simply walk by. I can imagine the inward battle of Jesus to do something miraculous and change this person's life and yet his time to reveal his identity as the Son of God had not yet come.
So, once again, speculation flaunts its dominance over the world of the unknown. Or does it? Thoughts?
I think it is fair to speculate this. There were surely those who were sick and dying. Even in His ministry they were around Him as He traveled. But remember the reason Jesus used miracles was to give evidence and credibility to His teaching and to show that He was from the Father. Like the paralytic that was lowered through the roof. He said to those present, "Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven or to take up your mat and walk?" To show that He had power to forgive sins He told him to get up and walk.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. But it Jesus also desired that none should perish. Perhaps he did help them out, it was just not recorded. Although if any of them were considered unclean, this would have created quite a stir!
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