Matthew 8; Mark 2; 4; Luke 7 Jesus Heals
After the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us of healings and other miracles performed by the Savior. As you read, look for these important story elements:
- The words and demeanor of those seeking Jesus’s help.
- Jesus’s words and actions in response.
- What you learn.
- What touches you.
Use these references:
- Matthew 8:2-4 (a leper; see also Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-15).
- Matthew 8:5-13 (a centurion’s servant; a “centurion” was a Roman soldier—meaning he was also gentile—who was over 100 other men; see also Luke 7:1-10).
- Matthew 8:14-15 (Peter’s mother-in-law; see also Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38-39).
- Matthew 8:16-17 (many who were possessed with devils and others who were sick; see also Mark 1:32-34; Luke 4:40-41).
- Matthew 8:28-34 (two possessed with devils; see also Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39).
- Mark 2:1-12 (one sick of the palsy; “palsy” is a type of paralysis; see also Matthew 9:1-8; Luke 5:17-26).
- Mark 4:35-41 (calming of the tempest in the Sea of Galilee; see also Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25). Can you think of a “storm” in your life that the Lord has calmed?
- Luke 7:11-17 (raising from death the son of the widow of Nain). In this story, what characteristics do you see in Jesus Christ?
- Luke 7:19-23 (cured many of infirmities, plagues, evil spirits, blindness; and preached the gospel to the poor). Why do you think the preaching of the gospel to the poor is included in Jesus’s own list of miracles?
Matthew 8; Mark 2; 4; Luke 7 Jesus Teaches
Jesus’s healings and teachings are interspersed among each other, and His teachings may also be considered miraculous, for His precepts and doctrine lead us to Him and to life eternal. Many of His teachings—and His manner of teaching—were far different from what the people had heard from their religious leaders and teachers.
Consider how the following teachings (1) blessed the lives of Jesus’s hearers; and (2) bless your life today:
- Matthew 8:18-22 (some of the challenges in following Jesus).
- Mark 2:13-17 (why Jesus sat, ate, and drank with publicans [tax-collectors] and sinners).
- (The parables in Mark 4 will be covered in a future lesson, when we look at Matthew 13.)
- Mark 4:23-25 (the blessings of deliberately “hearing” Jesus; see also Luke 8:18; and see quote below from President Russell M. Nelson).
- Luke 7:24-35 (Jesus’s comments regarding John the Baptist and people’s reactions to him; see also Matthew 11:7-19). What things today may impede us in recognizing and receiving truth?
- Luke 7:36-50 (among Jesus’s most poignant teachings, in a setting filled with drama; note that in verse 39, Simon “spake within himself,” yet Jesus “answered” him in verse 40; also, in verse 41 the “five hundred pence” was equivalent to more than a year’s pay).
Continuing with the story in Luke 7:36-50:
- What was the woman’s attitude toward Jesus? What do you learn from her?
- What was Simon’s attitude toward Jesus?
- How did Simon’s attitude toward the woman add to her burden? Are we ever like that toward others?
- Jesus declared to the woman three times that she was forgiven/saved (verses 47-48, 50). According to verses 47, 50, what led to her forgiveness?
- Read Alma 34:15-17, noting the four times Amulek uses the term “faith unto repentance.” What do you conclude from these verses?
Read again Mark 4:23. Do you have “ears to hear”? A possible thread that runs throughout each of these accounts of Jesus’s miracles and teachings is the desire and the ability of people to listen (or not listen) to Jesus. President Russell M. Nelson, in an April 2020 general conference talk titled “Hear Him,” spoke of the importance of being willing and able to hear the Lord. President Nelson said:
“The adversary is clever. For millennia he has been making good look evil and evil look good. His messages tend to be loud, bold, and boastful. However, messages from our Heavenly Father are strikingly different. He communicates simply, quietly, and with such stunning plainness that we cannot misunderstand Him….
“When we seek to hear—truly hear—His Son, we will be guided to know what to do in any circumstance…. In those two words—“Hear Him”—God gives us the pattern for success, happiness, and joy in this life. We are to hear the words of the Lord, hearken to them, and heed what He has told us! As we seek to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our efforts to hear Him need to be ever more intentional. It takes conscious and consistent effort to fill our daily lives with His words, His teachings, His truths.”
President Nelson followed by suggesting four ways to hear the Lord: In the scriptures, in the temple, through the gift of the Holy Ghost, and from the words of living prophets. He then made these promises:
“I promise that you will be blessed with additional power to deal with temptation, struggles, and weakness. I promise miracles in your marriage, family relationships, and daily work. And I promise that your capacity to feel joy will increase even if turbulence increases in your life.”
