Two Fold

Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Matthew 8:5-17
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering." Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him." 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. 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." When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 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. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour. When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. 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. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."

Notice, if you will, that the Centurion CAME to Jesus. Many sermons have been told over his faith, of His Belief in Jesus' ultimate control over all things, but I have yet to hear the first part of this message exemplified. You see, he not only had faith, he had ACTION. There was a two-fold process that led them to God. He WENT to Jesus, he stood up, humbled himself to approach Him in beseeching and faith, and went to find him. There was work involved. It wasn't just faith, this man, this man who "didn't deserve God" was brave and humble enough to go out and SEEK HIM. Recall the woman who bled, the one who knew if she merely touched his garment, she would be healed. Can you imagine her pain and weakness?

Picture a mosh pit, a store at Black Friday, a concert to see Bon Jovi - people were pushing, jumping up, struggling to get closer to him, and still, in her weakness, her pain, and her shame, SHE GOT UP and went to SEEK HIM OUT.

Faith alone is not enough, although it is what Jesus says has healed us, there were actions taken in that faith first. God says 'SEEK ME' - the Bible says 'SEEK HIM' - so if you are waiting for your miracle, keep faith, gather your courage, and humble yourself so that you too can SEEK HIM and by your faith you will be made whole.