"Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem's wounds and give it
prosperity and true peace." -Jeremiah 33:6
So, I was thinking today in my Quest for Meaning class (No worries, it sounds deeper than it actually is).
We were talking about Jesus' encounter with the dead and with the sick throughout the Gospels.. and the thoughts just started coming:
If you notice, He never says, "Sorry. It is not my will that I heal your daughter/husband/brother etc." He heals 27 people in his 3 years of ministry. In some cases, He raises people from the DEAD. And nowhere do we find an account where Jesus says "I don't want to, or "I can't," or "I won't," or "It's not my will." Can you imagine if He did? Just picture a Jesus who refused to heal people. He equally offers His healing - both spiritually AND physically. I once heard a preacher say that the cross is Jesus' screaming to the world, "THIS WORLD MATTERS." He is shouting, "Salvation is not all I bring you, world! I come to bring you life, health and peace. In abundance." (2 Peter 1:2, Jude 1:2)
Jesus does not merely offer us salvation from sins! He bore every disease on the cross (Isaiah 53:4).
It irks me when I hear believers say "If it is Your Will, heal this person." Of course it is His Will. He never desires for anyone to suffer. Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." In heaven, we are told that there is no suffering or pain. If we are asking for things to be on earth as heaven, why aren't we asking more boldly that suffering end and diseases be healed? Obviously, I believe that there are times when the Lord chooses not to heal for reasons I do not understand, but I trust. But, I believe that if more followers would stand up and boldly proclaim Jesus' cross as the removal of all suffering, spiritual and physical, perhaps the Lord would hear us and heal us.
" I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Others were given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you." - Isaiah 43
Great thoughts. Once a man I knew actually asked our church to pray for his wife with a brain tumor. His 4 yr. old son had died the year before. He didn't want us to pray unless we TRULY believed. He also had the audacity (what I thought at the time) to suggest that if there was sin hindering our prayers to get rid of it and get right with God so that our prayers would be heard. It was a very interesting thought for me. Very humbling and personal.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Hallie! You've got me thinking this morning!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat conversation (we should have these in person sometime-ha!). Anyway, i completely agree that believers should be more bold in asking for God to heal us (Great point by the way about Jesus never saying, it is not his will to heal). We need more people believing that God will heal, instead hoping that he will. However, suffering is also a very biblical idea. In fact, 1 Peter 2:19 says, "For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly." That's sickening to me. That someone could suffer, UNJUSTLY, and it is a gracious thing!? Furthermore, Romans 8:16 states, "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children,then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM in order that we may also be glorified with him." What!!?? We will be children of God, only if we suffer with him. I think partly suffering is a way for God/Jesus to allow us to "share in his sufferings" (1 Peter 4:13-powerful passage;worth reading). Scary thought. Anyway, suffering is a complicated issue and I don't pretend to know all the answers or everything about it. Just some provoking scriptures and things to think about related to the issue.
ReplyDeleteYeah! I have really been thinking about how much we avoid suffering and how unbiblical that is. And then of course there is the question.. if I ask in faith for God to heal someone and he doesn't, how can I ever ask in faith again? I guess it comes down to loving God for who He is not what He does, but it seems nearly impossible to my human mind that I could continue to pray in total faith after I have been let down.
ReplyDelete