Matthew 4:23  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

	This passage in the Gospel of Matthew deals with the earthly ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It summarizes the daily walk that Christ had on this earth. It encompasses the teaching ministry of Christ, the salvation ministry of Christ and the healing ministry of Christ. It is the same ministry that is still fully a part of our everyday walk with Him, today.
	One of the focuses of Matthew’s Gospel is that of seeing Jesus Christ as King. This is evident in the first chapter of the Gospel wherein Matthew details the genealogy of Jesus, tracing through the kingly bloodline from Abraham, through King David, unto His birth. The legal status of the right of Christ to be called the King of the Jews, being established, Matthew then proceeds forth with the kingdom authority established through the ministry of the King of kings and Lord of lords.
	In Chapters 8 + 9, Matthew gives 10 verbal portraits of the authority of Jesus Christ as evident during His earthly ministry. These are not chronological, neither are they a complete accounting of what Christ established and demonstrated both in the spiritual as well as the earthly realm, but each one is highly significant as to the authority of Christ as the King of all creation. They serve to illustrate and to remind us of the power, and the character and the awesomeness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
	This wonderful panorama of Christ, as painted by Matthew, can be considered under three headings. The first is that of His authority over disease, as expressed in verses 1-15 of Chapter 8. Disease was one of the greatest concerns of the Biblical era. The medical practices were almost non-existent, and even more deadly that the disease itself. The fear of all humanity, rich or poor, king or slave, was that a deadly disease would further shorten an already brief life-span. No one was immune to the ravages of the rampant waves of epidemics that could wipe out entire families, neighborhoods and communities. The direst dread was of contracting a malady that would cause the sufferer to be banished for the sake of the rest of the family and the community. Leprosy was one such disease. It created outcasts who could only find refuge in sharing the misery of other such inflicted ones. Leprosy meant not only death, but complete alienation and separation from friends, loved ones, strangers and all of society. Lepers who did not voluntarily seclude themselves in a pit of the direst of humanity, were driven from their homes by the intense paranoia of the rest of the community. 
	In verses 1-3, we have the picture of Christ healing the leprous man who sought after Him. When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. One key aspect of this verse is recorded by Matthew, that we should not glide over too easily. It is the fact that Jesus touched this man. This is a vital part of the ministry of Christ, not just then, but in our everyday walk with Him. It is of critical importance in two respects. 
	The first is the fact that this man needed to be touched. He had, in all likelihood, not felt the touch of another clean person for weeks, months, even years. We, as humans, need to feel the presence of those who love us. This is one reason that we have such a sense of oneness as we gather together in Christ. There is a communion that is established in sharing a fellowship contact with another person who so loves Christ. It is a natural expression of our Love of Christ to embrace those with whom we are joined together in Christ. Christ’s touch did much to bring this leprous man in right standing with God. He felt the very presence of the Son of God, and his need for an expression of the Love of God was met in the touch of Christ. How many of us have needed and received the touch of Christ in our beings? Sometimes He evidences Himself in the expression of love shown to us by one another in the body. Sometimes He touches us in our spirit, Spirit to spirit. Sometimes it is a healing touch of our physical infirmities. Sometimes it is an encouraging touch reminding us that He is always with us, as stated in Heb. 13:5 +6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
	The second truth of the healing of this leprous man is that Christ did not hesitate to touch him. Jesus had no fear of the disease which so infested this man’s body. Christ has complete authority and complete control over all the elements of this creation, so to Him, there was no reason not to touch this dying man and to heal him completely of the disease which was raking his body. The touch was needed and the healing was given, and God was glorified in this man’s life, and in the lives of those who witnessed it.
	In verses 5-13, we have another example of Christ’s authority over disease as evidenced in the healing of the Roman soldier’s servant. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed... This healing did not require a physical touch. The centurion simply stated that all that was necessary was for Christ to but speak healing, and the servant would be healed. The Word of the Lord is sufficient to bring about a complete healing of the individual, whether physical or spiritual in nature. Everything is under the authority of the very Word of God. We would do well to remind ourselves over and over again of the effective ministry of the Word of God, and not to take Him neither His Word for granted. As we are lead by Him, so His Word ministers in our beings and effectively serves to bring about the proper testimony of Christ to shine forth from our lives. We should cherish the opportunities that are ours to know Him in greater reality through the effective witness of the Holy Spirit in the Word of God.
	Verses 14-15 speak of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever that had beset her. Fevers, in that day could be deadly. The very fact that the power of the fever was broken, and that the mother-in-law was able to then minister unto the gathering bore fruit in the multitudes that gathered that evening for His healing touch. The reality is that when Christ ministers into our lives, when He touches us with His healing power, our lives are from that point on-ward a life of ministry unto others of the grace and the power and the mercy of God. Many are drawn by the evidenced touch of Christ. We do not have to seek them out, they are brought unto us by the effective ministry of the Holy Spirit to witness and to receive of the One Who now lives in us and has so completely touched our lives.
	The next set of verses, 8:23-9:8, bear witness to the authority of Christ over many realms. He is far more than a divine doctor. He has complete control over every aspect of creation. 
	Verses 23-27 of Chapter 8 carry the familiar story of the storm on the Sea of Galilee. The men on the boat were in desperation. They were in utter chaos and fearing for their very survival. The storm was raging at its uttermost and his disciples woke Him up from His sleep with words of their imminent demise. Christ spoke peace and peace reigned on that sea. The men marveled at the authority of Christ over even the physical realm. The lesson, however is that the physical storm also relates to the spiritual gales that so easily beset us. Through the most turbulent of times, whether physical or spiritual, peace reigns supreme in the presence of the Lord. He is the One in Whom to seek refuge in the midst of the storms. While all around us, the world is falling apart in utter chaos, and the blasts of fiery indignation and persecution are smiting us from every avenue, yet we have the surety of peace and comfort in the abiding presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is in control over anything and everything, PERIOD! Nothing, absolutely nothing is outside the authority of King Jesus.
	Verses 8:28-34 give further expression to this fact in the witness of even the powers of Hell. The demons, those fallen spiritual beings, recognized Jesus as the Son of God and His authority over them, and obeyed Him. There is no power, no authority, no dominion, absolutely nothing which is outside the realm of Christ’s power.
	Verses 1-8 of Chapter 9 shows an even more thrilling aspect of the authority of Christ the King. Therein we see the power of Christ to forgive the sins of humanity. This is a far greater power than that of the healing the sick, or of calming the seas or even of the commanding the legions of the spiritual realm. It is this power which sets Christ apart from all other powers and principalities. Only God Himself can command forgiveness to invade and to change a person. Only God can bring forth beauty from the ashes of humanity’s sins, by forgiving those sins and bringing man into the right-standing and relationship with God that was always intended for man to have with God. There is no greater power on earth than for the Love of God to be manifested in the life of a person, who has been forgiven and is now brought into the very family of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. None but Christ can accomplish that miracle of miracles, and He is so faithful to establish that authority in the lives of any and of all who will but seek after Him.
	The third aspect of Christ’s Kingship authority as related in these writings of Matthew is found in Chapter 9, verses 18-26. It is that of Christ’s authority over life and death.
	In the passage of verses 20-22, we have the example of the woman, who had lived for 12 years with a circulatory problem from which she could find no healing. Her body was racked with the pain of a chronic disorder that was slowly killing her. She wanted simply to touch the hem of His garment, and as she did so, she was healed. Her faith in Him was met by His love for her and she was healed in that instant.
	In verses 9:27-31, we have the account of the blind man whose eyes were healed. Whether physical blindness or spiritual blindness, the light of Christ is sufficient to bring sight to the blind, shining into every pit of darkness to expose and to heal the severest of the blind. How many of us have seen the restorative work of Christ evidenced through His healing of our blindness? So often, we are fully blind to that which the Lord is working on our lives, and in the lives of our loved ones. We have a set vision of what needs to be done, and refuse to see how the Lord is working far beyond our blind-sightedness, until that moment when our eyes are opened, as if for the first time in our lives, and the glory of the Lord is revealed, and we recognize just how blind we really were. The brilliance of Christ far surpasses any darkened vision of what we think should be, or could be. He is not limited, by looking through a glass darkly, but rather has the authority to shine effectively into the very heart of those in whom His work has begun, and to expose and to cleanse away the filth that has so blinded each and everyone of us.
	Verses 9:32-34 relate Christ’s healing of the deaf man who was also possessed of a demon. It mattered not whether the malady was physical or spiritual, in every instance the power of God was evidenced to the glory of the Father. A voice was loosed to bring forth praises unto God, a voice as one crying in the wilderness. How often are we in need of having our voices loosed to bring forth praise unto God for all that He has accomplished in our lives, and in the lives of our families and fellowship. Would not our worship take on a completely different aspect is we were but in utter awe of the effective authority of Christ and how He has so fully worked in our beings? There is no lack of praises to the Lord that could surge forth from our hearts, if we would but seek after Him to deal with us in the sovereignty of bringing our all, physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally upon Him for His purposes. There would be no excuses, no self-wants, no distractions. It would be the very touching of the heart of God simply for Whom He is. This is the authority that He has as King, and it should be the pleasure of our hearts to try to so bring forth praises of love and adoration for all that He has accomplished in every aspect of our beings.
	Verses 9:23-26 describe Christ’s authority in the raising of the little girl from the dead. He said unto them, Give place; for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people  were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
	The greatest fear of humanity, death was even under the divine authority of Jesus Christ. There was no power that could be set against Christ to overcome Him. He came to bring life to those who were dead in sin and trespass. Lord willing, each one of us has come under the life-giving ministry of Christ. By His death and resurrection, we have been given life, and life eternal as we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. The fear of death is no more to those in Christ. Yes, our earthly existence, our sojourn in this realm may soon cease, but there is a fullness of life in Christ which can never more cease, neither be taken from us. As we respond to the voice of the Lord, calling us forth from our slumber, let us not awaken half-heartedly, neither with a view to what once was. Let our entire beings be awaken to the abundance of the power of God to bring forth wells of living water from our hearts unto the parched deserts of humanity about us. Let our hearts rejoice in the power of Christ to but command life to spring forth, and now live in that Life of the Holy Spirit.
	As these passages in Matthew so fully evidence, there is no situation that is impossible for Christ. He is able to deal with our every earthly fear and care. As we realize this truth, so soon will we be the witnesses of the authority of Christ to work and to deal with us, and in us in a manner beyond our very scope of knowledge and reason. He will be able to manifest His omnipotent authority in a manner that will serve to fully establish the Kingdom of God in our hearts, in our beings, in our families, in our fellowship, in our midst at this moment. His kingdom is come, now. It is not a future promise to be longed after. To do so is to rob ourselves of the truth of His Kingship in our lives this very moment. 
	He can be trusted with our very lives and everything that is a part of our lives today. Let not our hearts be divided by the concern and the cares after the things of this world. Rather, let us encourage one another to seek after Christ to establish Himself, preeminent in our beings, today.
	He deserves our devotion as our King, today.
	He is the King of kings and Lord of lords now, at this very moment. His authority is established now, and we need to but seek after Him with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our spirits and with all our beings, for His sufficiency to be evidenced in our daily sojourn on this earth, as it was during His years of earthly ministry.
 	And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.