You'll have to believe the witnesses

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010719.cfm
1 John 3:22-4:6
Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25

In today’s vernacular, regarding an organic increase in public interest over some person and their special abilities, we quantify a phenomenon’s trajectory as “viral.” So, here’s Jesus traveling about Galilee, “teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.” 

Jesus, performing those three things — teaching, proclaiming and curing — consequently, went viral.

Say what you will about the high regard folks have for excellent teaching and proclaiming — which Jesus certainly had a knack for — I believe the key to his viral status had more to do with his “every” disease and illness curing bit. It’s one thing to sing a popular song with amazing vibrato on YouTube, garnering a couple million hits and then making bank on your first album and several well-timed public appearances. Curing every disease and illness, however, tops every search engine optimization marker (SEO, for the abbreviation crowd).

Matthew writes about the resulting impact of Jesus’ fame as reaching to all of Syria. Granted, today we can probably get to large crowds in the city areas of Syria with some specifically timed news items, but “all” of Syria? Not a chance. We can’t even get to all of Woodland Park with a message, except for maybe the flood horn on a rainy day. Getting the attention of everyone in Colorado, though, the approximate size of Syria today, would be a fool’s errand. 

His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them. 
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.
(Matthew 4:24:25)

It’s probably not politically correct to categorize folks today as possessed and/or lunatics. Calling a paralytic a paralytic is still OK. For now. We don’t want to offend anyone. But, if word got out that a guy was curing the possessed and lunatics the politics at first might hold some folks back, but eventually I believe the stereotype brands would mean little to folks tired of their conditions. Everyone else, though, including the sick with various diseases and racked with pain, would show up in busloads. 

In fact, this kind of pilgrimage of ill folks takes place every day. The word is out on places like Lourdes, Chimayo, and Medjugorje for Catholics. Practically every religion has their hot spots for healing. Booking agents across the world rely heavily upon the crowds who surge into these spots. Look them up. There are dozens of them.

The obvious difference with these spiritual journeys, which offer potential for physical and mental healing, from Jesus’ all-inclusive coverage of healing goes beyond the sheer numbers. It’s unimaginable. Who can conjure up the totality of such an endeavor? 

“How many did he cure, Nathan?” 

“Well, Simeon, far as we can tell, every single one. Hangnails, water on the brain, blindness… It just doesn’t seem to matter. He’s fixed every one of them.”

The importance of the healing as part of Jesus’ Kingdom message and his teachings cannot be downplayed. The glory of a Kingdom where no one suffers and tears are gone resonates within the heart of everyone. Who believes that is possible, though? Only those who have seen the man who promises it by delivering full-fledged healing as proof, and those who believe the witnesses. 

Who would listen to the teaching of a man who claims that he is sent by God, and, in fact, is the incarnation of that God? Only those who have experienced his Spirit alive in their own hearts.

Coincident activities are those that occur together. Coincident activities are those that are in harmony, in balance. Jesus makes coincident the teaching, proclaiming, and healing. They go together. Once again, though, we are brought to the same message of his ministry and mission in every part of those three activities. 

“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Jesus said, “From that time on.” After John was arrested Jesus retreated to Galilee, leaving Jerusalem behind. From there, and from that time on, Jesus took the mantle of John’s preaching.

Turn to God, he proclaimed. 

And the timing of Jesus’ preaching repentance began his new and viral mission of teaching, proclaiming and healing. John’s arrest kicked off the shift from the popular attention directed to John to the viral attention now directed toward Jesus. John baptized and preached repentance. Jesus taught, proclaimed, and healed, all the while preaching repentance as the response requested from those he healed.

The world changed. The Kingdom became real when he resurrected from death and left us with the Comforter, his Holy Spirit. Witnesses again tell us the continued story of his life of ministry, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension. They assure us it is all true.

Not only did he heal all those people, but the rest of the story is true. So say the witnesses. 

And today we are offered the same three things — teaching, proclamation, and healing. Everyone is offered these things, no matter how awful they have been or how viral they may already be. You don’t have to get on a bus to Lourdes, though it can’t hurt. You can find the crowds following him today in all kinds of public church gatherings. 

“We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us,
while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us.
This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.”
(1 John 3:6)