More of Jesus' Healings, Facts for 3-8 Year Olds

Categories: Jesus (Healings)

• Chapters 8 and 9 continue with stories of Jesus’ great works of healing. 

Jesus Calms Storms

• In the first story, Jesus and his disciples are in a boat.
• “Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.” 
• Such storms are common on the Sea of Galilee.
• Jesus, however, is fast asleep and unaware of any danger. 
• His peaceful sleep is opposite to the storm raging about.
• The disciples are scared and wake him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
• It must have been a pretty dangerous storm to frighten them since they’re fishermen and used to the sea.
• Jesus says, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” 
• “Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves.”
• The word for rebuke, literally, means “be muzzled.” A muzzle is something people sometimes put on the mouths of dogs or animals so they can’t bite or bark. It’s as if the storm is a wild animal that needs to be tamed. 
• The storm got “muzzled” immediately: “and it was completely calm.”
• The men are amazed and ask, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

• It is very likely they are so amazed with awe because they are fishermen and have seen the ways of the sea, the wind, and waves.
• So they wonder, “Who is this?” Even the forces of nature obey him.

• It is the question that Matthew wants everyone to think about.

• The disciples probably have time to think about this as they continue their journey across the lake. 
• When they arrive at the other side, they are in Gentile (non-Jewish) territory, in the region of the Gadarenes.
• Two men who have been sent away from society because they are not in their right minds come up to Jesus.

• They ask, “What do you want with us, Son of God?”
• But they don’t even wait for Jesus to answer. They simply give up.
• Jesus says one word, and the men are healed, in their right minds.
• But the people who hear about this come and ask Jesus to leave. They may be afraid of Jesus’ power and don’t see that he can free them, too.

• Jesus leaves and crosses back over, coming into his own town. 

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

• Next, he heals a paralyzed man, a man who cannot walk.
• “Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat.”
• In Jesus’ day, most people slept on mattress-like pads on the floor.
• Thus, the mat would be a sort of stretcher that could be easily carried.
• When Jesus sees their faith, he says to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
• Jesus praises their faith by saying to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 
• This seems a bit odd, as we might have expected Jesus to tell the man he was healed.
• But Jesus has come to heal both the sick and the sinner. 
• Some of the scribes, the teachers of the law, say to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
• Blasphemy is saying something that is hurtful to the honor of God. 
• From the scribes’ point of view, Jesus is insulting God by saying he can forgive sins.
• Jesus is simply stating a spiritual fact. 
• It is a word of truth: “God has forgiven you. You are whole.” 
• Jesus knows what the scribes are mumbling. 
• Knowing their thoughts, Jesus says, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?”
• These evil thoughts are most likely directed toward Jesus.  The scribes hope to hurt and destroy him.
• So, Jesus challenges them: “Which will be easier to do—tell the man his sins are forgiven, or to tell him to get up and walk?”
• The answer is clear. It is very easy to say, “Your sins are forgiven.” Who would know?  How could they check to see if his sins were forgiven? 
• But you would be able to tell if someone who was paralyzed could suddenly walk. You’d see it.
• So making that happen would be quite hard. 
• But if someone can do the “harder” thing that can be seen, surely he can also do the “easier” one that can’t be seen.
• So Jesus decides to do both by healing the man.
• With that, Jesus states, “I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” 
• Jesus uses this term as a way of referring to himself. 
• It is his way of saying, “I.” 
• It shows he is humbly obedient to God.
• And Jesus states that it is this man, the humble, obedient man, who has power to forgive sins. 
• So he says to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”
• Right away, the “man got up and went home,” demonstrating that he’s completely healed.
• Imagine the stir that caused! 
• Again, the scribes say nothing.  One can only guess their reaction. 
• When the crowd, on the other hand, sees this, they “are filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.”
• While the scribes can’t talk, the crowds praise God.
• If Jesus’ words are true, they cannot be blasphemous (insulting to God). 
• This would not have been easy for the scribes to accept.
• The scribes will be watching Jesus.
• They think he is dangerous and is a threat to their entire religion.
• By now, they are all wondering just who is he, acting in such a way, completely outside the rules of religious life.
• Matthew takes the rest of his Gospel to answer that question.
• So who is Jesus to you?