Matthew 8

But then Matthew in his gospel quotes Isaiah in reference to physical healing.

Matthew 8, 16, 17.

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were ill.

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah.

He never turned away anyone by saying, well, it's not your time yet or God wants you to learn something through this.

You have to suffer a little more or you haven't learned your lesson yet.

On the contrary, there was a leper who came to Jesus in Matthew 8 and said to him, if you are willing, you can make me clean.

Jesus turned immediately to him and said, I am willing to be made clean.

We are to evaluate their walk, and we are to be their counselors and their helpers.

I mean, in Matthew 8, Jesus said, if another believer sins against you, go privately point out the offense.

And if the person listens and confesses, you want him back, but if you're unsuccessful, take one or two others, go back again, so everything will be confirmed by two or three witnesses.

If the person refuses to listen, take your case to the church.

And that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Jesus.

Matthew 8 and verse 16.

When the evening was come.

Like it is come tonight, they brought to him many that were possessed with

And you'll notice that, and we've called attention to this before, that on two occasions he marveled.

Once he marveled at the unbelief that we see here, and then in the incident in Matthew 8, verse 10, of the faith of the centurion, he marveled at his faith.

When Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith No, not in Israel.

And the thing that should interest us here, and this expression, we're apt to pass it by, it seems so inconsequential, and he went round about the villages teaching.

Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Matthew 8 says, One, two, three.

When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him.

A man with leprosy came and kneeled before him and said, Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.

2 Corinthians 12, 9 says, But he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you and my power is made perfect in weakness.

Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Matthew 8 says, One, two, three.

When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him.

And just a couple of preliminaries before we get into the text.

In Matthew chapter eight, you find out there were two men in the tombs.

And people sometimes will take those, they call those contradictions.

There's no contradiction.

Matthew just told you the whole truth that there was two guys up there in the tombs and the mountains that were full of devils that were cutting themselves.

But Mark simply gives you the details about one of the two that Jesus dealt with.

There's places where an account in the Gospel of Luke... has just him healing one blind man.

What's that prove? It just means that one person, one gospel author was moved to talk about one individual of the two.

And this is where this is most clearly fulfilled.

We see then as he's proclaiming that coming of the kingdom, one of mercy, forgiveness, love, He begins healing in his ministry in Matthew 8.

In Matthew 8, Jesus' healing ministry fulfills prophecies, and it also shows the types of the people that were welcome in the kingdom of God.

Isaiah 29, 18 and following says this, "'In that day,' meaning the day of the coming of the Messiah, "'in that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, "'and out of their gloom and darkness "'the eyes of the blind shall see.'" What do you see in the healing ministry of Jesus, even if you're unfamiliar with the stories? Or if you're unfamiliar with the whole context of the Gospels? You know there are stories where he heals deaf people.

You know there are stories where he gives sight to the blind.

On several occasions, Jesus himself spoke of a place of weeping and wailing of gashing of teeth.

That's in Matthew 8, verse 12.

And while individual accounts of hell, such as the children of Fatima, remember in July 13th, 1917, he said souls are going to hell because no one's there to pray and make sacrifices.

St. Faustina said the same thing.