Meaning of healing

So this is one of my 2013 New Year resolutions. I will try to write at least one reflection from my daily scripture reading every week. Now that I have every Friday off, I would hope that I can commit to at least that!

This first one comes from my reading of Matthew 8:16-17:

Jesus Heals Many

¹⁴ When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
¹⁶ When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities    and bore our diseases.” (Isaiah 53:4)

It has stuck me that I had always assumed that the reference Isaiah 53:4 was referring to Jesus' death on the cross. I am sure that the prophet Isaiah definitely referred to that. But what Matthew is referring to here is the act of healing that Jesus did - that Jesus heals the sick by taking up their infirmities and bearing their diseases.

A little while ago I listened to someone sharing the meaning of the word "compassion" which is to "suffer with", from the root "com" and "passion". So this is what Jesus did. He identifies with those who suffer and by suffering with them he heals them.

So this is what I need to learn to do better in 2013 - to practice true compassion when I see patients. This is my calling. This is to live like Jesus.

Just as an aside, Jesus knows the power of the simple touch. Here he healed Peter's mother-in-law by touching her hand. Earlier in the same chapter (8:3) Jesus healed a man with leprosy also by touching him even though it was probably a taboo to touch a leprous in his days ( probably even now!). Jesus knows the science (of the mode of transmission of the mycobacterium) and he breaks conventional "wisdom". I must do the same!