Intently Listening to Church Leaders

In Acts 14, we read about Paul teaching people in Lystra. Here's some verses about a particular man who was listening:

8 ¶And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a ^acripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:

It then mentions that Paul noticed how intently the man was looking at him (presumably listening to his words) and Paul perceived the man had the faith to be healed and Paul then healed him.

9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had ^afaith to be ^bhealed,

10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

I think it's worth considering what Paul was saying and what the man was doing. I remember the first general conference I listened to when I was on the mission was special for me. I listened so intently to the prophet and felt as if he were there speaking to me. It was so real and powerful. I assume Paul spoke about the Savior and brought hope to the man. I imagine that Paul had the same effect on this man and that, upon noticing the man, Paul compassionately reached out and healed him. I hope to emphasize the powerful effect the words of the Apostles can have on those hearing their voice and the faith that their words can engender in others.

Doing Greater things than the Master - a difficult challenge

At the end of his life, the Savior told the Apostles that they would do greater things than Him if they believed. That's such a tough statement to live up to. Here's the verse from John 14:

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that ^abelieveth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I ^bgo unto my ^cFather.

I can only imagine how Peter felt then when he healed the lame man outside the temple. That event was the first recorded time that the Apostles had a great following and did a work that was truly comparable to the miracles of the Savior. Certainly, it was a day where their confidence in their calling grew. Here's the incredible account of the healing:

1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

2 And a certain man ^alame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an^aalms.

4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have^agive I thee: In the ^bname of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7 And he took him by the right hand, and ^alifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

9 And all the people ^asaw him walking and praising God:

10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

I once heard Elder Gene Cook talk about this experience of Peter's. He said that this was true faith; Peter had never done such a thing, but he trusted in Jesus to a remarkable degree, he had the Priesthood, and the result was a great miracle.

Later we read that the man was over 40 years old, and that the people marveled greatly at the miracle. In the end, Peter's reputation grew so that people brought their sick out into the paths Peter was walking so that perhaps his shadow would touch the sick, and the sick would be healed. This is similar to the woman touching Jesus garment or the friends of the man with palsy dropping him in through the roof. Peter began to become all that Jesus wanted.

Here's Acts 5 about Peter:

14 And believers were the more ^aadded to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the ^ashadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

Matthew 8 - Showing how much Jesus cares for each individual

I believe that as the writers of the gospel pondered what to include, they likely had certain messages they hoped to get across, and they included the stories they did in order to convey those messages. Matthew 8 appears to be a chapter largely focused on showing us how much Jesus loved the people individually. Consider these verses:

2And, behold, there came a ^aleper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

3And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was ^acleansed.

Jesus cared for the leper and cleansed him.

8The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not ^aworthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be ^bhealed.

9For I am a man under ^aauthority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

10^aWhen Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great ^bfaith, no, not in Israel.

11And I say unto you, That ^amany shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

12But the ^achildren of the kingdom shall be cast out into ^bouterdarkness: there shall be ^cweeping and gnashing of teeth.

I love this story. Jesus didn't care that the Centurion was a Roman. He recognized the man's great faith and not only healed the servant but inferred that the man was going to heaven while many Jews wouldn't make it. He once again cared about the individual, not the customs of the day.

16¶When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with ^adevils: and he cast out the ^bspirits with hisword, and ^chealed all that were sick:

He healed them all. Tremendous love.