Matthew 4:23-25 Healings
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: January 23, 2019, Matthew 4:23-25
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
(Understanding the Text) Jesus now stayed in Galilee to preach, but He covered the whole length and breadth of it. He went into synagogues and taught. His message was the kingdom of heaven. He healed diseases and hurts (like being crippled from an accident). This made Him famous and the crowds grew and grew. Most of the people who came to Him came for healing rather than teaching. He healed all kinds of problems from viral/bacterial sickness to diseases where the body stopped functioning correctly to horrible pain to paralysis to seizures to demon possession. As He became more and more famous, people started coming from farther away: first, Galilee; then the Decapolis (Gentile Galilee); then Jerusalem/Judea; and then from even farther away across the Jordan. All the province of Syria heard about Him. Jesus was gathering in men from all around the original boundaries of Israel and drawing them into His net of love.
Robertson’s Word Pictures says “Went about in all Galilee (periēgen en holēi tēi Galilaiai). Literally Jesus was going around (imperfect) in all Galilee.” This is the first of the three tours of Galilee made by Jesus. This time he took the four fishermen whom he had just called to personal service. The second time he took the twelve. On the third he sent the twelve on ahead by twos and followed after them. He was teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom in the synagogues chiefly and on the roads and in the streets where Gentiles could hear.” I like Robertson’s idea that Jesus was going to places where Gentiles could hear his message also. He was not primarily speaking to them, but He loved them also and was putting Himself in places where they could hear, as well as those Jews who were outcasts. We always think of only Jews being in the crowds, but I think there were some Gentiles also; however, there must not have been many because of the big deal made about the healing of gentiles in the New Testament.
(Revelation of God) Guzik’s commentary says “Jesus’ ability to heal those with all different kinds of diseases demonstrates that He has authentic power over the damage done by the fall of man. His authority over demons (and those who were demon-possessed) shows He has authentic power over all creation.” I like that idea. Jesus has authority over all creation but also that Jesus has the power to heal the hurts that sin has inflicted on us.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that if I follow Jesus and do what He asks me at the local level where I am, people from farther away will be drawn in to Jesus’ net of love. To follow Jesus means to heal others for Him. I am rotten at it, but I pray that You will give me the ability to do as You ask and to not fail You.