Tuesday: Jesus Heals
The Gospels are peppered with the stories of Jesus’ miracles, particularly those of healing. As Isaiah had prophesied, He healed the blind and released those who had been held captive by disease, sometimes after many years of suffering (see, for example, Mark 5:24-34, John 5:1-15). But He did more than this: He made the lame walk again; He healed lepers—not just by word but by touching them, “unclean” though they were;
Jesus Heals
He confronted demons who were possessing people’s minds and bodies; and He even raised the dead.
We might expect these miracles to have been about attracting crowds and proving His powers to His many doubters and critics. But this was not always the case. Instead, often Jesus gave instructions to the person healed not to tell anyone about it. While it seems the just—healed people were unlikely to follow these instructions and keep their wonderful news to themselves, Jesus was trying to show that His miracles were about something more significant than a spectacle. The ultimate goal, of course, was for the people to receive salvation in Him.
Yet, the healing miracles of Jesus were an expression of His compassion. For example, in the lead-up to the feeding of the 5,000, Matthew narrates, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matt. 14:14, NIV). Jesus felt the pain of those who were hurting and did what He could with the people He came into contact with to help them and lift them up.
Read Isaiah’s prophecy in Matthew 12:15-21. In what ways do Isaiah and Matthew identify what Jesus was doing as something larger than healing a few—or even a few hundred—sick people?
“Every miracle that Christ performed was a sign of His divinity. He was doing the very work that had been foretold of the Messiah; but to the Pharisees these works of mercy were a positive offense. The Jewish leaders looked with heartless indifference on human suffering. In many cases their selfishness and oppression had caused the affliction that Christ relieved. Thus His miracles were to them a reproach”. – Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 406.
Jesus’ healing miracles were acts of compassion and justice. But in all cases, they were not an end in and of themselves. Ultimately all that Christ did was for the purpose of leading people to eternal life (see John 17:3).
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I think that most of us would like to be able to perform miracles like Jesus. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see someone sick and tell them to get up and walk again. It might be wonderful but what a responsibility! I would probably get a swelled head and think what a good person I was.
Actually, I am a reluctant miracle worker. The local "Complete Health Improvement Program" (CHIP) committee wanted to run their 8 week program in the local community and were short of a data projectionist, so they asked Carmel if I would do it and she said yes without even asking me. So I have been turning up twice a week and sitting behind a computer pressing buttons so that the information and videos go up on the screen. And I find I am not sitting in benign isolation. Participants are sitting next to me and they cajole me into talking and eventually I tell my story of how I changed my lifestyle in 2004 and have lost 25kg of weight and have kept that weight off for the last 15 years. And they say, "Wow, that is really encouraging! And as the weeks go by they tell me how far they are walking each day and how much more they are enjoying their new lifestyle.
It is only a small miracle, but for some of the participants in the program, it is a miracle and a small taste of heaven as they get their health on track again. I know it is not raising the dead, but at least for some of our participants it is putting off the inevitable.
Jesus saw people's hearts. He was compassionate to all of His creatures. He wanted them restored to their original state. Jesus cared about human suffering. His love was nota just limited to words.
Hello Maurice,
Your post warmed my heart. I too like to help people learn information that can help their hearts, souls and bodies.
I too worked with the CHIP program and those were some of the happiest days of my life.
Thank you for sharing and your encouragement.
Where can I get more information on CHIP. I remember Inge once provided a link 1 or 2 years ago. I opened it but I admit I did not read through it and just continued with the lesson. Please help if you can. Thanks
Here are a couple of links for you:
https://www.lifestylemedicine.org.au/content/the-complete-health-improvement-program-chip-launches-online/
https://chiphealth.com
Jesus Heals a Sick Woman
This is one of my favorite stories in the bible
Many people were crowded around Jesus. Indeed, many people touched Him. But there was something very different about this woman. She knew that she was helpless. She was truly poor in spirit, and she put all her hope in Jesus. So Jesus asked who had touched Him.
There was a large crowd pressed about him but there was only one went home healed because she came with the faith to be healed. Jesus wanted to be clear, it was not the physical touch of his cloak healed her rather it was the faith of touch which healed her.
Let’s not forget that Jesus was on His way to Jairus’ house to heal Jairus’ daughter when the woman touched His robe. I can imagine that Jairus, who was worried sick about his dying daughter, may have thought that this woman’s interruption was a bad thing. After all, this woman caused Jesus stop when He should be running to the little girl. But Jesus did not see it that way at all! The sick woman did not catch Jesus by surprise! Jesus is able to work all things together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Jesus allowed this “interruption” so that Jairus and the others would learn more about Him. Jesus would receive more glory, and their faith would grow stronger.
Jesus had been delayed on the way to Jairus’ home. I can’t even imagine the pain that gripped Jairus’ heart when he heard the news that it was too late. But Jesus, the author of peace, was quick to say to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.” It was in this moment that Jairus had to make a decision. Would he believe the terrible news, or believe in Jesus? Would he stop in his tracks, or continue walking along side the Healer? He had seen that Jesus had power over sickness. Would he believe that Jesus had power over death?
How would you react when the faith is tested?
God give us the strength to trust in you regardless of the circumstances. Amen
Powerful illustration💪
Dr Maurice!
“Jesus’ healing miracles were acts of compassion and justice. But in all cases, they were not an end in and of themselves. Ultimately all that Christ did was for the purpose of leading people to eternal life (see John 17:3).”
Was/is healing only a means to an end?
The most frequent Greek word used for the concept of healing in the NT is
therapeuo and it’s derivatives. At the same time, there are instances where another Greek word is used - such as in Mark 6:56 where it uses a derivative of the word sozo.
Interestingly, sozo (which some suggest is the origin of the term sos) means to both save and heal.
Could it be that salvation and healing are actually each and both in their fullest sense one in the same concept? Could it be that salvation is in fact the healing and restoration of every aspect of our being - physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually?
If salvation = healing and healing = salvation, how might this awareness impact how we go about our daily life today, how we interact with others and how we ‘be’ church?
Rather than physical healing being a "means to an end," could we say that Jesus always had the healing of the whole person in mind. He did not wish to leave them only with physical healing which would have them miss out on spiritual wholeness.
Could we also say that we should always have the healing of the whole person in mind?
It has bothered me at times when I have observed such things as excellent health presenters, including people putting on a well-received CHIP program, saying "we don't want to shove religion down their throats" as the reason for avoiding all mention of spiritual things, including purposely removing posters advertising upcoming evangelistic meetings. (In my experience with the 5-day Plan, when it was still an Adventist program, I took the "minister/counselor" role and shared from my heart and appealed to their hearts. No one ever complained, and my presentations were well received, even though my emphasis was far more spiritual than the "official" version.)
It seemed to me, for one thing, if sharing their "religion" was "shoving religion down their throats" that their religion was not the religion of Christ, because the religion of Christ sets people free. It opens the door to more abundant life, leading people to be healthy, happy and holy. 🙂
What the world is hungering for is Jesus - introduced to them by people who know Him themselves.
I understanding where you are coming from Inge, but I think we can be spiritual without being religious. People come to these programs often as a last ditch cry for help and that needs to be addressed. The opportunities for spiritual redirection often arises obliquely and at their request. My participation in programs such as CHIP is as a person on the same journey that the participants are, not as a source of superior knowledge and lifestyle. I think that the same should be true of our spiritual journey. I would rather have the opportunity to respond to a question from them rather than telling them that I am better off because I have a spiritual life.
There is much that can be absorbed by osmosis and at least some presenters at our health programs could benefit from the "wise as serpents and as harmless as doves" approach.
Maurice, I agree completely. (I was not using "religious" in a technical sense as something apart from "spiritual," though I understand what you mean.) I was sharing, not lecturing, and that's a world of difference. I just didn't discipline myself to avoid a spiritual angle, when others might have. Sharing has to spill over naturally because it's part of us and not because we are trying to "instruct." And, yes, I was sharing from a basis of equality. What I object to is the notion that any reference to spiritual things is "shoving religion down their throats." It seems to me that that attitude is a symptom of not experiencing the joy of the Lord but seeing the service of God as an obligation, rather than a privilege and joy.
The people we serve deserve to know about our Savior, and I believe we should waste no opportunity of introducing Him to others. When we are helping them in a tangible way, they are generally open to some spiritual input. Usually it's only planting a seed that may or may not grow and bear fruit in the future. God takes care of the seed; it's not our responsibility. But we should plant seeds when we can. That's why we're here. That's also why the "health message" (which includes anything and everything we can do to help our neighbors live better) is "the right arm of the message." It opens doors, and it's up to us to walk through them and not to close them in the name of "not shoving religion down their throats."
On the other hand, I do know of people who make health their religion and make themselves a nuisance in the process. And there are those who see every opportunity of service as an excuse to preach at people. That's not the way to do things. It takes wisdom that the Lord is very willing to give to know when to speak and when to be silent. But in my experience, no one has taken offense from my sharing my personal experience. But people may be offended when we try to lecture them from a position of superiority. That's not the way Christ did things, and if we are in Him, He will speak through us to those around us and help them to recognize that He wants them to be happy, healthy and holy.
Origen of SOS: Chosen to transmit easy and quickly a distress call with Morse code back when radio was not yet used for communication. S: three dots (three clicks). O: three dashes (three long clicks).
To remember easy this call (SOS) it was given “words” attached to it. For the English language, most mariners used: Save Our Ship. Others used: Save Our Soul. Other languages used words in their languages.
Jesus shared what he had received freely.
some churches sell miracles.
you pay for prayers, you pay for miracle things such as water, handkerchiefs and oil.
you pay for planting seed miracle where you send money to a preacher for it to be doubled.
you pay for services they do for you even to burry the dead.
some when they visit you for players, you have to cook for them heavily.
some they only visit places they know that they will receive big gifts.
some they sell DVD and sermons they got freely from the bible.
some will only go to big churches due to their leadership positions and what they Will be paid there.
some sell the gospel, they preach and ask for offerings.
some preach the prosperity gospel which is money focused.
some follow their members even to their houses asking them to pay the offerings they had failed to pay.
.... I think I didn't mention your church.
you have received freely, give freely
Because Jesus heals, I strongly believe we as His followers are endowed by powers to heal too. Of late, I have keenly and diligently observed a strange act of 'healing'stealthily getting it's roots into adventism.Some of the members and pastors from my local conference have a funny Pentecostal kind of spirit which outrightly make them heal and excorise, this act has attracted more questions than answers.As Adventists, is this our portion? Where is the line of distinction?
Simeon, Matt 7:15-18 and Phil 1:15-18 comes to mind in regard to your experience and question. From these passages we get the following principles to consider:
What are the lives of those conducting these healings/exorcisms reflecting? When considering this question however, keep in mind that we can sometimes draw wrong conclusions when looking at others because we cannot see a person's heart motives that underlie their behaviours (see the last sentence in 1 Sam 16:7).
What view of God are people seeing as a result of both the manner in which these healings/exorcisms are conducted and the outcomes of these healings/exorcisms?
And what are the consequences in the lives of the people that are healed? Do they grow in their salvation? Are other people drawn to seeking God by seeing what is happening in these people's lives?
These are some of the questions to consider in seeking the Spirit's discernment for where the 'line of distinction' lies in each particular case.
I have often wondered why, with all my other physical ailments, God allowed my kidneys to fail. When I first went to dialysis I would sleep and watch the tv that is provided for each chair. 4 hours on the machine 3 days a week! Then I got board so I thought I would start reading my Bible when I went. Then I started studying my Sabbath School Lesson. I would read 2 days at a time to stay caught up. Then I started reading the companion book also, this cut down on my sleeping and tv watching. At first the techs yelled at me for bending my arm by holding my Bible, which made the machine atlas and stop. So, of course I told them I was reading my Bible and I wasn’t going to stop. Then one tech suggested I get a lap tray so I didn’t have to bend my arm. Which did, I love Amazon! My daughter had given me an iPad for Christmas the year before which I had never used. So I charged it up and found the Tecarta Bible app and this website. It was much easier to use than my hardback Bible. Besides I am able to carry many different Bibles, concordance, and Ellen White notes, Ellen White comments, and all her books. Needless to say I’m now up to 3 iPads and my iPhone (which I use as a dictionary)! Now that I’m off track, we started a 40 days of prayer at church and I took my book to dialysis with me. This started a dialogue with one tech then another about my religion. I dictated my notes to my iPad. And soon I was speaking to other patients who were asking questions about what I was talking about. One even asked me if I was writing a book! Long story short, I believe God had a plan for me to share the Good News with people who might not have heard it otherwise. So I guess that’s my answer as to why my kidneys failed. God always knows the beginning to the end. P.S. now I study so much I don’t have time to nap or watch TV during dialysis, or at home either!
As I read of your experience Sylvia, Romans 8:28 comes to mind.
Sylvia, you made me get a big smile and extra happy with your story 🙂
Yep, I got blessed reading your story 🙂
Blessings to you 🙂