Focal Passage: Matthew 8:1-4, 14-17; 9:1-8
A few years back I had to go to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) to get a new driver’s license. I avoided going there at all costs and tried accomplishing what I needed to online and over the phone, but they said I had to come in. I remember walking into a room filled with people and feeling instantly overwhelmed.
At the entrance there was a big sign that said, “Take a number and find a seat.” In that moment I was no longer a name, but a number along with everyone else. I blended in. I was unseen. I felt unimportant. The people Jesus encounters in these verses knew this feeling all too well. They lived on the margins, often unnoticed or avoided. But Jesus never treated them as invisible, as interruptions, or as inconveniences. Every encounter revealed the same truth: Every life matters to Him.
In the first encounter we see Jesus responding with compassion. This man Jesus meets is a leper, someone forced to live on the margins of society. He is physically broken and social isolated.
Josh Sinquefield
As the man requests Jesus to make him clean something stunning happens. Jesus reaches out His hand and touches him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Before the man is healed, he is touched. Before he is restored physically, his dignity is restored personally. This man probably hasn’t had anyone physically touch him in years. But Jesus saw his suffering, moved toward it, and embodied compassion in word and deed.
Skipping over a few verses, we now see Jesus healing with presence. The scene takes place in a private home where Peter’s mother-in-law is sick with fever. No crowds are present. No public display is made. Jesus simply comes to her, touches her hand, and the fever leaves.
This quiet moment reminds us that Jesus’ care is not reserved for dramatic stories alone. He values the overlooked, the ordinary, the unseen. His power is vast. We see that as Matthew tells us that he drove out many who were demon-possessed (v. 16). Yes, his power is vast, but we also see that his care is deeply personal.
As we move to Matthew 9, we see that Jesus doesn’t just heal physically, but that he meets our greatest need. As the paralyzed man is brought to Him, He speaks first to the man’s spiritual need. Then He tells the man to get up and walk, and he does. In this moment, Jesus shows that He doesn’t just see bodies that need healing; He sees hearts that need restoration. He meets people at their point of pain but never stops short of their greatest need.
Across these stories, a consistent pattern emerges. Jesus sees suffering, moves toward people rather than away from them, and meets both physical and spiritual needs. No one is too unclean, too ordinary, or too broken to matter to Him.
Every healing in these passages points beyond itself. Jesus values every life because He came to give His life. The One who touched the untouchable, noticed the overlooked, and forgave the broken would soon carry our weaknesses to the cross. Remember friend, when Jesus looks at you, He does not only see a problem to solve, He sees a person He came to redeem. B&R
