"AND JESUS WENT ABOUT all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people" (Matt. 9:35).
One day several years ago, this verse came up in my daily Bible study. I'd probably read it hundreds of times before, but that morning I felt compelled to take a fresh look. As I actually studied and prayed about this verse, for the first time I realized so much of Jesus' ministry was summed up in this one sentence and I couldn't afford to pass over it so lightly.
It struck me that Jesus went out to where people were—to every city and village. He had an important message and didn't just wait around for people to come to him to receive it. He sought out those in need and later sent his disciples to continue this work.
To prepare the hearts of his listeners for the saving message of the Truth, Jesus' first step was to teach. He taught things people had never heard before, opening the Scriptures to show their deeper spiritual meaning—something the Pharisees had failed to do. For example, he redefined "Thou shalt not kill" as not even being angry with someone. Likewise, he taught the importance of a pure heart on the issue of adultery and how to respond to enemies with love. He got right to the heart of how to pray, give alms, and fast.
Using parables, he translated profound spiritual ideas into simple, everyday metaphors. People could relate to tares and wheat, sheep and goats, losing and finding money, and baking bread. Though his listeners didn't always understand the deeper meaning of his teachings, Jesus was nevertheless revealing a greater truth and the bigger picture of salvation.
He also preached the gospel of the kingdom. There are several Greek words in the New Testament translated as "preach." They all signify: to proclaim, announce or herald something important. And this he did, announcing a radical new concept of heaven, proclaiming it as not some uncertain, distant, and hereafter experience. He heralded a powerful gospel, or good news, that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, within us— an amazing departure from the teachings of his day.
How inspiring it must have been to hear the Savior's words ring with authority and truth. But his message went far beyond inspirational words. He expected it to have a practical effect on human lives. He healed "every sickness and every disease among the people." Every sickness and every disease: healed. Nothing could resist the healing presence of Christ.
Jesus didn't just teach the words, "Love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. 19:19); he constantly practiced this precept by responding with compassion, healing the sick or those rejected by society. More than preach the words, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt. 4:17); he proved them to be true each time he restored health, healed sinful hearts, fed the multitudes, or performed any of his marvelous works.
Our names are written in heaven
But Jesus' healing works weren't the ultimate goal for his followers. He told his disciples not to rejoice over the fact that they had healed someone, but to rejoice that their names were written in heaven. Jesus was explaining that as inspiring and wonderful as his ideas and healings were, the real purpose of the Christ's ministry was to reveal our true nature as already in heaven, holy and undefiled as dearly loved children of the Most High.
I felt suddenly humbled by the significance of Matthew 9:35 and asked myself: If I had been in the crowds listening to Jesus, would I have believed his teachings? Would I have had enough faith to fight through the multitudes and ask him for healing? Would I have glimpsed the broader truth Jesus came to reveal?
The Christ mission continues today
For a moment it didn't quite seem fair that the people in the New Testament had the opportunity to be healed by Jesus and we didn't. But instantly I realized that the Christ, the spiritual essence of Truth that Jesus embodied, is here now, actively continuing the Savior's mission.
The Christ comes to clear out the clutter of material perspectives — whatever is unlike God's kingdom.
In her book Science and Health, which explains how Jesus healed, Mary Baker Eddy writes, "Christ is the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness" (p. 332). God did not play favorites, allowing only one people to hear the gospel and be healed. God's love and healing power are universal and know no boundaries of time, space, history, culture, or creed. Christ is at work today just as much as ever— consciously and persistently teaching, preaching, and healing.
I found myself earnestly yearning for the Christ to teach and preach to me — to heal me. Gently, it dawned on me how Matthew 9:35 applies to me. I envisioned the Christ going into all my "cities and villages," into every aspect of my life, every nook and cranny of my thinking, preaching the gospel of the kingdom.
I quietly opened my thought to this Christ activity, which began at once to dissolve my fears and cast out ungodlike thinking. I had to accept all and not just part of the truth and blessings Christ was revealing to me. And it was no use trying to hide anything either. I couldn't hold on to any material thinking, old fears, hurt feelings, or sins, but had to be willing to let the Christ remove everything unlike God.
It was a holy experience. For quite some time, I sat basking in the purging and uplifting power of Christ in my heart. I felt washed, clean, and baptized in purity and innocence. Later that day, I noticed a small growth on my forehead had scabbed over. Within a day or so, it completely disappeared. On the surface, the physical healing was hardly noticeable. But I knew I had experienced the healing presence of the Christ because of the spiritual renewal I felt.
I continued praying with these ideas, and recently, I severely gashed my forehead in the same spot. I hit the protruding edge of a pipe in my basement with such force that the house shook. A plumber, who witnessed the accident, made dire predictions because of how serious it appeared.
But I wasn't even tempted to look at the wound, because I knew that my life is spiritual, not material. My wife cleaned and bandaged my forehead and we both prayed with the line, "The divine Science of man is woven into one web of consistency without seam or rent" (Science and Health, p. 242). Three days later, you couldn't tell where the cut had been.
Humbly open the door
Today, the Christ comes to our hearts to declare that the kingdom of God is within us. The Revelator heard Christ say, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Rev. 3:20). Do we hear Christ knocking at the door of our thinking? If we don't, the knocking has not stopped, but sometimes we have to take an honest look and see what has prevented us from hearing it. Do we keep the door shut because we're embarrassed about the mess behind it? The Christ comes to clear out the clutter of material perspectives: fear, sin, disease, lack, emotional turmoil—whatever is unlike God's kingdom. As we are willing to open the door of our innermost thoughts to the purifying presence of Christ, we will feel this presence, experience healing, and find spiritual renewal. And we have the added privilege of following the example he set by going forth ourselves to teach, preach, and heal.
In studying the Bible, it's quite an adventure to take a particular story or verse and see how its deeper, spiritual meaning applies to me and the needs of my family, the community, the church, and the world. It's all about putting its message into practice. Otherwise, it simply remains an inspiring story or idea from the past that can only give us hope. As we apply the ideas to our daily walk they transform us and the Word is made flesh. We no longer just hope in God, but are convinced of His presence in our own lives. And healing is the natural result.
