Contributor: Marian
Scriptures:
Luke 5:17-26 John 5:3-8 2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 Mark 1:21-38 Romans 8
Divine healing is a delicate subject. Many of us have prayed earnestly on behalf of a sick friend or family member who hasn’t been healed. We’re left grieving and puzzled, wondering why God has seemingly let us down and we find ourselves wondering whether it is ever worth praying for the sick again.
I’ve also witnessed great distress inflicted when someone suggests that a sick person’s lack of healing is because of unforgiven sin or insufficient faith. Clearly, this is abusive, and I find no biblical evidence that Jesus ever accused a sick person. Our job in praying for the sick is not to point the finger, but to pray and allow God to bring revelation and forgiveness if it is needed.
In Luke 5:17-26 we read about a group of friends breaking through the roof to lower their paralysed friend to Jesus. Verse 20 says, ‘When Jesus saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”’ This story shows us clearly that our job is to have faith in bringing the sick person to Jesus, so that He can deal with any possible root cause.
Space doesn’t allow for touching on more than two or three recorded healing miracles, but I encourage you to do your own study and you will find there is no clear formula in Jesus’ miracles. He healed those with faith, and those without, but He didn’t heal everyone. In John 5:3-8 many sick people were gathered around the Pool of Bethesda but Jesus chose to heal one man. This man didn’t know who Jesus was even after he’d been healed. Neither had he asked Jesus to heal him. It was Jesus who asked him if he wanted to be healed. Why didn’t Jesus heal all the sick that day? The Bible doesn’t tell us. However, it does show us that Jesus’ main mission was to save souls and glorify His Heavenly Father through the miracles.
When we look at the early Church we find the Apostle Paul, who had witnessed many healing miracles in others, speaking of his own “thorn in the flesh”. He sought healing three times, but God told him, “My grace is sufficient.” 2 Corinthians 12:7b-10. Sometimes God will reveal His glory through our weakness.
Although the Bible is clear that healing miracles happened and still do, we must understand that physical healing was never Jesus’ prime mission. In Mark 1:21ff we find Jesus casting out demons and healing many people before drawing aside to spend time in solitude. When His disciples told Him that everyone was looking for Him, He replied,
“Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” (v.38).
Jesus had a higher priority. All physical healing is temporary. Jesus’ main purpose in coming to earth was to bring eternal healing for our souls. He came as the perfect sacrificial Lamb because God so loved the world. There can be no greater sacrifice, and whether or not we receive healing, we need not fear because He promises eternal healing for our souls through His sacrificial blood.
Prayer: Thank You Jesus that One day we shall be clothed in new immortal bodies and spend eternity with You. Thank You that nothing in all creation shall ever be able to separate us from You. Amen.