Wondrous Healing!

Mar 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Mar 1:36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.
Mar 1:37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
Mar 1:38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.


Having spent a long time healing people, Jesus went to pray. The disciples He'd gathered so far followed Him and when they'd FOUND Him, they told Him something He already knew. All men seek Him.


Let's note for a moment here that word 'found'.


Jesus went up to pray- alone. Simon and the rest followed Him. Jesus didn't tell them where He was going, He rose up a GREAT while before day and went to a solitary place. The disciples with Him woke up as well and followed Him but obviously NOT right behind Him. They had an idea of where He was at but they still needed to find Him. Jesus wasn't going to be FOUND until He wanted to be FOUND. He needed time alone to pray to the Father. He needed that time and what does that tell us? Perhaps we as individuals as well NEED to spend time alone with our Father. Okay, there is no perhaps about it. We do need to spend time alone with our Father away from everyone else, even when well intentioned people want to be with us. Even when we *don't * want to be alone, we need to take that time to spend with our Heavenly Father. All things are through our Heavenly Father just as they were for Jesus, His Son. We can't forget where our spiritual power comes from, we have NONE of our own. All we have is a spiritual side to us and that spiritual side is what connects us to our Spiritual Father allowing His power to work in us. We can ignore that spiritual side we have and let our flesh nature rule us, we don't HAVE to pray to our Heavenly Father and we'll keep on living but the life we are living is not the life we are intended to live.


Jesus went off to pray and His disciples *found* Him and when they did they told Him that all men were seeking Him. They wanted Him to go to the crowds of people as He had the day before and teach them, and heal them.


Jesus had other plans though - Jesus replied - 'Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.'


He wanted them to go to the next town, other towns, so He could preach there too. The whole reason for His existence right then and there was to preach - repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand- that was His message for people. Jesus preached, Jesus taught, and Jesus healed. Jesus had to give His message to as many people as He possibly could. Jesus wasn't about to settle down in any one town as some might have done- expecting people to come to Him- Jesus was going to go to others, He would NEVER take on any airs, never. He was there to SERVE the will of God, and it was God's will that He bring the message of salvation to all.


Mar 1:39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.


Mar 1:40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Mar 1:41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
Mar 1:42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
Mar 1:43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
Mar 1:44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.


Fame. Wanted or unwanted, Jesus had fame. He needed fame really, it was all in God's plan. People were becoming very receptive to everything Jesus had to say and He was gaining many followers.


Healing this leper, Jesus charged him before sending Him away to SAY NOTHING to ANY MAN, but go to the priest and offer for cleansing as Moses commanded, a testimony. After receiving healing they were required to go to the priest-


Lev 14:2 This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
Lev 14:3 And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;
Lev 14:4 Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop
(Read Lev. 14:2-32)


Jesus wanted the leper to go and do as He was required in the testimony of Moses, but the leper had other ideas. He was HEALED of a disease that meant his wasting away, flesh rotting, ostracized for his condition and the only future he had was to be one of misery. We don't know what stage of leprosy he had, we do know that the leper even getting close to Jesus was daring because lepers were supposed to stay far away from others. Jesus had pity on this suffering man and healed him completely and the JOY the man had to feel was beyond what most of us can imagine. I say most of us because some of us do know the joy of healing- though few know the instantaneous healing that our merciful Savior healed the leper with.


Overcome with pure joy, the leper went out and told EVERYONE he saw about his miraculous healing! There had to be people who knew this man before he'd become a leper, people who mourned his coming down with the disease that would leave Him wasting away, never to be with those he loved again. It's no wonder that the news spread far and wide and Jesus couldn't going into that city any longer because there were just TOO many people. Jesus stayed in the desert places- and people came to Him from all over!


Mar 1:45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.


We have to understand how wondrous all this was. You know someone that is sick, most people do if they aren't sick themselves and wouldn't you just be overwhelmed if they were healed, if you were healed, if all others around you were healed. If hospitals filled with people were suddenly empty?! If doctor offices closed, if pharmacies had no reason to give out any medicine? If we think of it that way then we are really shocked, really amazed and yes- disbelieving. But this is what was happening on the same level for the time and place- Jesus was healing all that came into contact with Him- hundreds, thousands of people were being healed. Just as we'd be overwhelmed and willing to listen to the Healer's message, people then were willing and Jesus brought them the message of salvation- step by step He was bringing it to them and it was amazing, just as amazing as it is to us today, that same wondrous message. No, we don't have the Healer here, but we have the FULL message given to us in the Word of God and salvation in Christ is everything, EVERYTHING!


By the grace of God may we have FULL understanding! We need full understanding, we need Faith, we need the grace and mercy of our Savior, we need SPIRITUAL healing and that we can have today by the grace of God.


Amen!