Okay kids, let’s start with a fill-in-the-blanks exercise. I’ll do the first one to get you started.

To be healed . . .

The blind need to ….SEE…
The lame need to ……………..
Lepers need to be ………………
The deaf need to ………………
The dead need to ………………
The poor need to ………………

What did you come up with? I would have come up with: walk; be clean; hear; live; have money. But I would have been wrong.

Context: In Luke 7, John the Baptizer is in prison and given how well his “prepare the way for the Lord” ministry is going (not), he sends a couple of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the guy?”

So, the disciples go to Jesus and ask Him, “Are you the guy?” And as they wait for an answer, they watch Him “heal many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind He bestowed sight” (Luke 7:20-21). Jesus then pauses. He turns to the two inquirers sent by John (who I am guessing are trying to pick their jaws up off the floor after seeing Jesus in action) and takes His cut at answering my fill-in-the-blank quiz.

And [Jesus] answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.”

(Luke 7:22-23 ESV)

Okay, imagine being the poor and destitute dude standing at the end of the healing line? The blind guy at the front of the line goes up to Jesus and all of a sudden, he can see. The lame lady then hobbles up to Him and next thing you know she’s doing cartwheels out the door. The leper’s next — scabs and sores be gone; his skin is suddenly spotless! And you’re getting closer to the front of the line.

You almost yawn with an “I saw that coming” yawn when the deaf guy then starts parroting back everything he now hears being said around him. And then, you’re really intrigued by the corpse on the cot being carried by his friends up to the One claiming to be the promised Messiah — and sure enough, the dead are raised up!

Okay, now it’s your turn. Poverty’s been your middle name for as long as you can remember. No education. No skills. Nothing in the bank account and no way of changing that. So, what are you expecting when you stand before Jesus? Reversing your fortunes (pun intended) seems pretty straight forward, doesn’t it?

. . . the poor have good news preached to them.

Chew on that for a bit.

Those overlooked in the world were being freely shown the keys to the kingdom of another world, just as had been prophesied of the Messiah’s ministry (Isa. 61:1-3). Those with no earthly resources were being invited to take hold of heavenly treasure. Their physical poverty was but a merciful, divine object lesson pointing to their abject spiritual poverty. If that guy in line could see his need, then he was primed for such an epic healing that everything that had gone before him would pale in comparison. For all the healings he had seen — the sight, the wholeness, the cleanness, the hearing, the newness of life — would be his and more. The poor need good news. And the gospel of Jesus has plenty of that.

Oh, that we would see our poverty. For, how blessed are the poor? Pretty blessed.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” ~ Jesus

(Matthew 5:3 ESV)

Noodle on that a little while longer.

Be healed by His grace. Be healed for His glory.