Matthew 8
Matthew 8:2-4 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” (3) Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. (4) Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
How did Jesus heal the leper? After touching the man he issued a command to him to be clean. Then he commanded him to “go” and show himself to the priest.
Matthew 8:5-13 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. (6) “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” (7) Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” (8) The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. (9) For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (10) When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. (11) I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. (12) But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (13) Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
How did Jesus heal the servant? He issued a command to the centurion (or according to Luke 7 to the friends whom he had sent) to “go.”
Matthew 8:28-32 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. (29) “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” (30) Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. (31) The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” (32) He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
How did Jesus drive the demons out of the man? He commanded them to “go.” Moreover, after the man was set free, Jesus commanded him to “go” home and to share what the Lord had done for him.
Mark 5:18-19 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. (19) Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
We want people to “come” to church to meet Jesus and to receive healing and deliverance from him. How should we minister to them? We should issue commands with authority. One important command to be given is “go.”