The Healing Touch of Jesus Christ
Matthew 8:2-4
Background
I’ve been so excited about writing on healing from the New Testament scriptures. Yet the Old Testament background brought so much insight and clarity on healing. The foundation of healing comes when we are right relationship with God. When we are aligned vertically with God, our creator, healing flows from Him.
Were miracles present in the Old Testament? Of course! Yet by the time Jesus arrived it seemed many of the religious leaders had become so focused on the rules, they forgot that God, in his divine wisdom and mercy heals us because of His love. Then Jesus arrived on the scene and everything changed. Jesus ministered healing those who were sick and diseased and oppressed by the devil (Luke 4:40-41).
The New Testament reveals God’s healing power through precise Greek terms: ἰάομαι (iaomai) shows Christ’s authoritative acts (Matt 8:1-4), ἴαμα (iama) the miraculous results (1 Cor 12:9), and ἴασις (iasis) the process (Luke 6:19). θεραπεύω (therapeuō) emphasizes compassionate care, while σῴζω (sōzō) encompasses complete wholeness - body, soul, and restored relationship with the Creator.
Scripture
“A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be cleansed!’ Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.” (Matthew 8:2-3, NIV)
Reflection
When Jesus touched the leper, He did more than heal a skin disease - He restored a broken covenant relationship. Under Mosaic law, leprosy meant ritual impurity (Leviticus 13-14), cutting sufferers off from God’s presence in the Temple. Christ’s intentional touch - using ἰάομαι (iaomai) - didn’t just remove symptoms; it reinstated the man’s standing before God. The Creator of the universe chose physical contact with an “untouchable,” demonstrating that no barrier is too great for His redeeming love. This moment prefigured the Cross, where Christ would touch our spiritual leprosy (sin) and restore our right to approach the Father. Just as the leper’s healing required surrender (“if you are willing”), so our spiritual healing begins with yielding to Christ’s lordship.
Application
Divine Initiative
Jesus took the initiative to touch the leper before healing him. In your own life, recognize that God makes the first move toward your restoration. Your healing begins with His willingness, not your worthiness. When you feel spiritually “untouchable,” remember the leper’s story - Christ’s touch bridges the gap between your brokenness and God’s holiness.
Relational Restoration
Physical healing in Scripture always points to deeper spiritual realities. As you pray for healing (whether physical, emotional, or relational), ask God to reveal what aspects of your connection with Him need restoration. The leper’s skin was healed so he could rejoin worshiping community - what parts of your life need healing to restore full fellowship with God and others?
Process and Patience
While the leper experienced immediate cleansing (ἰάομαι), some healings unfold gradually (ἴασις). If your healing seems delayed, avoid equating timing with God’s willingness. The same Christ who said “I am willing” to the leper sometimes works through processes (Mark 8:22-25). Keep presenting your requests, trusting that God’s healing always aims at your ultimate wholeness (σῴζω).
Prayer
“Father, just as Jesus touched the leper, touch the areas of my life that feel untouchable. Restore what’s broken in my body, soul, and relationships. Remove the pain, the rejection, and heal the sores and broken places.
Help me receive Your healing not just as relief from symptoms, but as reinstatement into right relationship with You. Give me patience for Your process and eyes to see Your work in me. Amen.”
Journal Prompts
The Untouchable Places: “What areas of my life feel ‘leper-like’ - places I assume are too shameful or damaged for God to touch? How does Matthew 8:1-4 challenge those assumptions?”
Temple Access: “In what ways has sin or brokenness hindered my approach to God? How might Christ’s healing touch restore my full access to the Father?” If you don’ t know where to begin – start by asking God to show you. He helps us pray!
Healing and Mission: “The healed leper was sent to show himself to the priests (Matt 8:4). If God fully heals my ______, how could that become a testimony to others?”
Process Frustration: “When have I expected immediate healing (ἰάομαι) but found myself in a process (ἴασις)? What did God teach me in that season?”
Wholeness Vision: “Beyond symptom relief, what would true σῴζω (wholeness) look like in my current struggle? How might healing serve God’s larger purposes for my life?”
