Investigate: A five part interactive study.
Discover Jesus for yourself.
Section 2: Jesus: Equal hope for both the rich and needy as the healer.
In the first study, we saw that Jesus was not just an unusual person; he was God's Son. He came into the world in order to meet the deepest needs of all men and women. In this study, we will look at how Jesus met the needs of two particular people. Everywhere Jesus went, he came across needy people. Often, the people he met had incurable diseases. He was able to change their physical lives by healing them. More importantly, he changed their spiritual lives through forgiveness of their sins. He healed Simon's mother-in-law, a Roman officer's servant, a man with a paralyzed hand, a crippled woman, a paralyzed man, people suffering from spiritual and mental disorders or skin diseases, blind people, and he even raised the dead. "All who had friends who were sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus; he placed his hands on every one of them and healed them all" (Luke 4:40). Look at how Jesus interacted with these people.
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied. Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
A. A blind beggar is healed
Read Luke 18:35-43
- What do you think life was like for this blind man?
- Why do you think he kept calling for Jesus?
- What did Jesus do and say once he had heard the man? (18:40-42)
- In what way did the man show he believed in Jesus?
- If you had seen this miracle, what would you have thought of Jesus?
This was a blind man to whom Jesus gave "recovery of sight" (Luke 4:18). He healed many people of different physical illnesses. But he also healed people from other forms of "sickness."
B. Jesus and Zacchaeus
The Romans gave the job of collecting taxes to the highest bidder. Tax collectors did not get any wages for their work. They collected as much money as they could so there would be plenty left over for themselves after paying the government. Zacchaeus was one of these tax collectors. He was a greedy and unpopular man.
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' " But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
Read Luke 19:1-10
- What was Zacchaeus' attitude toward Jesus? (19:3,4,6)
- Many people grumbled about Jesus talking to such a man. What was Jesus's attitude toward Zacchaeus? (19:5,9,10)
- How did Zacchaeus change after meeting Jesus? (19:8)
- What do you think Jesus meant by "the lost"? (19:10)
- What does this incident show about the character and purpose of Jesus?
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