The Sabbath ended at dusk.  Religious rules said that nobody could be healed on God's special day.  But after Jesus healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law in her house, the word was out.  At sunset, sick and demonised people were brought to Jesus.  Whatever their problem, they believed that He would be able to deal with it.  Jesus was not just a specialist in reducing high temperatures; He confronted a wide variety of illnesses, personally laying His hands on each person - and they were all healed (Matthew 14:36).

But the demons sought to confront Jesus.  The evil plan was to make a scene and draw attention to His Deity – which would goad the jealous religious leaders into acting against Him.  However, Jesus knew their motives: He spoke sternly to the demons, silencing their mockery and driving them out.  But what mercy He showed to so many suffering people!  What power in His words, and what kindness He showed to those who had no hope of relief or release (Titus 3:4-7)!

Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and for ever (Hebrews 13:8).  Nothing takes Him by surprise; everybody is precious to Him and nobody is treated as an irrelevance.  He is not fazed by unusual illness or by unruly demons.  He has the power to deal with all of them.  But it is important to note that the healing ministry of Jesus was not to win Him support (in the end most turned away from Him); nor was it primarily to satisfy people's needs.  He was demonstrating that He was the fulfilment of Messianic prophecies, and the only authority able to dethrone Satan and to undo his bad works, including sickness and death (1 John 3:8).

Some people still come to Jesus demanding that He shall resolve their problems.  There is little worship or commitment to Him; many just want to continue living an ungrateful life.  And some did that in the gospel accounts (Luke 17:12-19). But Jesus is still the Master of Mercy.  All who call on His Name will be saved (Romans 10:13).  All those who come pleading for mercy are rewarded by grace which is even greater than mercy.  Yes, until Jesus returns, everybody will die of some problem or another; even those in the gospels who were healed, eventually died.  But whether or not the Lord allows healing, the truth remains that He is the Master of Mercy.  There is no kinder or more powerful person than Jesus. He can heal or sustain through suffering; He can deny Satan liberty or provide grace to withstand evil attacks (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).  It is right to bring our own needs and those of others to Him for action; and it is godly to give thanks for His mercy however He chooses to answer the prayer.