Jesus heals blind Bartemaeus.
Are you desperate today? Have you lost hope? Has the ability to fight the good fight disappeared? Is there no one you can call for help?
Two thousand years ago, Jesus “went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”(Matthew 9:35) In desperation, without any other option, people turned to Him and were healed. This is what is recorded in the Gospels.
Jesus Heals the Bent Woman in the Synagogue
Matthew 9
Jesus heals a paralytic (v6-7)
Jesus heals a woman who was subject to bleeding for 12 years (v22)
Jesus raises from dead the daughter of a synagogue leader (v25)
Jesus restores the sight of two blind men (v29-30)
Jesus drives out a demon and restores speech to a man (v33)
Matthew 15: 28
Jesus heals a demon-possessed Canaanite woman who suffered terribly
Mark 9:25
Jesus drives out the demon spirit of a boy possessed
John 9:7
Jesus restores the sight of a man born blind
Jesus, our Healer, is with us today and is as close as a whispered prayer.
To believe this requires a huge leap of faith and a monumental effort to shut the door, if only for a moment, on debilitating emotions and the darkest of thoughts. We are assaulted from the outside by forces, demons, and events that could easily break us. Adversity never stops. That is why we need the supernatural power of Christ to reside in our hearts, mind, and will.
St. Paul writes in Ephesians 3:16-19 these empowering words:
“And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.
“Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.
“Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!”
The Passion Translation
What of the times we don’t feel God’s presence? “But let us remember that walking in God’s presence involves moments when we can’t sense Him, but we trust Him. It involves moments when He breaks through and we’re forever changed. And walking intimately with God involves moments of honest-to-goodness obedience while we wait to see what He’ll do next.”
Larson, Susie. Closer Than Your Next Breath
The God of love does not abandon us. How He responds is beyond our knowing. Perhaps the greatest prayer in desperate times is that of the father of the demon-possessed child who, in response to Christ’s question of his belief in His power, responded, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 4:24)
Desperate? Be desperate for God.
Further Study
Miracles of Jesus: The Gospels record 37 of his miracles
https://www.learnreligions.com/miracles-of-jesus-700158
Scriptural Context
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/jesus-christ/what-miracles-did-jesus-perform.html#google_vignette
Even Deeper Context
https://factsanddetails.com/world/cat55/sub390/entry-5747.html
Much of our desperation comes from the demons that try to hijack our mind and undercut our faith. Read “Destroy These False Gods: 101 False Gods To Destroy Before They Destroy You” on Amazon.
