Religious services, or teaching and healing, marked the very beginning of Christ Jesus' public ministry, and the Gospels show that the disciples accompanied him and participated in these ministrations. The Bible records how Jesus had prepared himself for his mighty service to mankind by prayer and fasting, by overcoming temptation in the wilderness, and then proving his preaching in "healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." His preparatory work done, it is apparent that he still needed his disciples with him; and at Gethsemane he called three of them to watch with him "one hour."
The people did not understand or believe Jesus' statement, "The kingdom of God is at hand." Ignorance, indifference, opposition faced him in the mixed multitude. Curiosity, ridicule, and malice, and even violence, also sought to intrude, and perhaps tried to keep from him many to whom his words would mean salvation. The disciples were enabled to be of one mind with him in knowing that the precious seed of Truth would fall on the good ground; that thorns could not choke it or fowls of the air snatch it away. They knew that their great Teacher voiced the Word which heals, and that "as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God."
The healing fruitage, recorded by Matthew, immediately after the Master's great Sermon on the Mount includes: leprosy, or uncleanness of both mind and body cast out; palsy destroyed; fever, the manifestation of fear, replaced by health and ministration to others; so-called elemental material laws reversed, and evil thoughts, a legion of devils, cast into the abyss of nothingness.
