Ministry of Healing: Days of Ministry

In the fisherman's home at Capernaum the mother of Peter's wife is lying sick of "a great fever," and "they tell Him of her." Jesus "touched her hand, and the fever left her," and she arose and ministered to the Saviour and His disciples. Luke 4:38; Mark 1:30; Matthew 8:15.

Rapidly the tidings spread. The miracle had been wrought upon the Sabbath, and for fear of the rabbis the people dared not come for healing until the sun was set. Then from the homes, the shops, the market places, the inhabitants of the city pressed toward the humble dwelling that sheltered Jesus. The sick were brought upon litters, they came leaning upon staffs, or, supported by friends, they tottered feebly into the Saviour's presence.

Hour after hour they came and went; for none could know whether tomorrow would find the Healer still among them. Never before had Capernaum witnessed a day like this. The air was filled with the voice of triumph and shouts of deliverance.

Steps to Christ: Consecration

God's promise is, "Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13.

The whole heart must be yielded to God, or the change can never be wrought in us by which we are to be restored to His likeness. By nature we are alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our condition in such words as these: "Dead in trespasses and sins;" "the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;" "no soundness in it." We are held fast in the snare of Satan, "taken captive by him at his will." Ephesians 2:1; Isaiah 1:5, 6; 2 Timothy 2:26. God desires to heal us, to set us free. But since this requires an entire transformation, a renewing of our whole nature, we must yield ourselves wholly to Him.

Let Your Food Be Your Medicine

"Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever." Psalm 136:25 

The "Doctrine of Signatures" is a traditional belief that the physical characteristics of plants and foods (their "signatures") indicate their intended use for healing specific parts of the body. The idea can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome, but it became especially prominent in medieval Europe and the Renaissance.

Paracelsus (1493–1541), a Swiss physician and alchemist, was one of its strongest advocates. He taught that God had marked plants with signs of their purpose for human use. It was common in herbal medicine traditions across Europe, the Middle East, India, and China, though expressed differently in each culture.

The Siege of Jerusalem

On August 30, A.D. 70, the magnificent Second Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by fire during the Roman siege under Titus. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, an eyewitness to the events, records that although Titus had originally ordered the temple spared, a Roman soldier hurled a burning brand into one of its chambers. The flames quickly spread beyond control, and the sanctuary, once regarded as the very heart of Jewish life and worship, was reduced to ashes (The Jewish War, 6.252–266).

Ministry of Healing: Our Example

Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this world as the unwearied servant of man's necessity. He "took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses," that He might minister to every need of humanity. Matthew 8:17. The burden of disease and wretchedness and sin He came to remove. It was His mission to bring to men complete restoration; He came to give them health and peace and perfection of character.