Matthew 8:14-18: a reflection

As Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law and then many others who were brought to him, the Gospel tells us this fulfilled the words, he took our infirmities and bore our diseases. When evening came, they brought to him many who were sick, and he healed them all, the account says; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah, he took our infirmities and bore our diseases. Jesus does not stand at a distance from human weakness and sickness; he enters into it, touches it, bears it. His healing of the sick is described as his taking their infirmities and bearing their diseases, entering into and carrying human weakness rather than holding himself apart from it. This shows that Christ took our infirmities and bore our diseases, entering into our weakness. Christ took our infirmities and bore our diseases; he enters our weakness. Christ does not hold himself apart from human weakness, but bears it. Bring your weaknesses to the one who took them upon himself. Christ enters into and carries what burdens us.

Notice how the Gospel describes Jesus' healing. He healed Peter's mother-in-law with a touch, and then, when many sick and afflicted were brought to him, he healed them all. And the Gospel interprets this by the words of Isaiah: he took our infirmities and bore our diseases. Jesus' healing was not a distant, detached act; it is described as his taking their infirmities upon himself, bearing their diseases, entering into and carrying human weakness. He did not hold himself apart from human suffering and weakness, but drew near to it, touched it, took it upon himself. This reveals the heart of Christ toward our weakness and suffering. Christ is not a distant healer, untouched by our infirmities, dealing with us from afar. He is one who took our infirmities and bore our diseases, who enters into human weakness and carries it, who is moved by our sufferings and draws near to bear them. And this points ultimately to the cross, where he bore not only our diseases but our sins. When we are weak, sick, burdened, suffering, we do not bring these to a distant, unmoved God, but to Christ, who took our infirmities upon himself, who enters into and bears our weakness. We can bring him our weaknesses and burdens, knowing he is the one who bears them. We do well to bring our infirmities and burdens to Christ, who took them upon himself and bears them. Bring your infirmities and burdens to Christ, who took them upon himself. Christ is not a distant healer, but one who enters and bears our weakness. He took our infirmities and bore our diseases; he is moved by our suffering. Do not carry your weakness alone; bring it to the one who bears it.

That is worth taking to heart, for Christ took our infirmities and bore our diseases, entering into our weakness, and we can bring our burdens to the one who bears them, as the Gospel says of his healing. We can imagine God distant and unmoved by our weakness; but the Gospel says Christ took our infirmities and bore our diseases, drawing near to human suffering. He bears our weakness. Do not bring your weaknesses to a distant, unmoved God; bring them to Christ, who took your infirmities upon himself and enters into what burdens you. Bring your infirmities, sickness, and burdens to Christ, who took our infirmities and bore our diseases, entering into and carrying our weakness rather than holding himself apart from it, as when Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law and then many others brought to him, the Gospel said this fulfilled the words, he took our infirmities and bore our diseases; for Jesus does not stand at a distance from human weakness and sickness but enters into it, touches it, and bears it, his healing described as his taking their infirmities and bearing their diseases, so that he did not hold himself apart from human suffering but drew near to it and took it upon himself, which reveals the heart of Christ toward our weakness, that he is not a distant healer untouched by our infirmities but one who took them upon himself and enters into human weakness to carry it, moved by our sufferings, pointing ultimately to the cross where he bore not only our diseases but our sins, so that when we are weak, sick, burdened, or suffering, we do not bring these to a distant, unmoved God but to Christ who took our infirmities upon himself and bears them, and we do well to bring our infirmities and burdens to him who bears them.