in morning prayer this week we read from Matthew 9.27-34 about how Jesus heals two blind men and frees another man from some demon.
what was interesting about the translation we were reading from was that it said this:
‘As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
When He had gone indoors, the blind men came to Him, and He asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they replied.
Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith, let it be done to you.”‘
Wo! Wait one second. Can’t it be according to YOUR faith, Jesus? I think that question would cause me to take a moment and really consider the likelihood of the healing following my answer.
Because when it comes to faith for money or provision or God coming through with an answer on direction or something to speak into a situation, my faith is really strong and in any of those cases i think i would be good with His response or challenge?
But when it comes to healing… hm, not so fast. Do i believe that God CAN heal? Absolutely. Do i believe that He WILL heal?
Um… CHEQUE PLEASE, table 9!
i have prayed for a lot of healing in my life [for other people] and cannot remember ever seeing [beyond a headache or some mild pain] instant healing [in the ways i have heard stories of healing, like this one] and certainly no blind or dead people [yet!] i have seen people get better but i haven’t witnessed [as in personally] people really get healed… like categorically undeniable [oh me of little faith i hear you thinking out loud]
and i am not looking for answers to this question. i am just wanting to share that i have it. if Jesus’ healing of the people i come into contact with is “according to my faith” then they might do better moving on to the next person, cos my faith [in the healing department] has taken a few knocks.
BUT i still believe God can and i still believe He does and so every new time i come across someone who needs healing i try to ask them if i can pray for them and if they say yes [like two people did this last week] then i pray, believing that God can and hoping that He will heal. and the fact that He didn’t [in any discernible way to me] heal either of those two people [have seen at least one of them since] doesn’t make me stop believing. it makes me continue to hunger and question and trust and take opportunities because my faith, when it comes to healing, is more like the father of the demon possessed child in mark 9.24 – Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
i do believe.
but i still call on Jesus to overcome my unbelief.
and keep on, taking new opportunities as they present themselves in the hope that God will let me in on the secret, or the mystery of how it all works some day [not so i can do some kick ass miracles, but so His name will be glorified… and maybe He is still working on me to fully get me from the one to the other]
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I think I am there with you on this one Brett! This area remains confusing and a mystery to me! I sometimes think Jesus performed those miraces while he was here to get his ministry off the ground–to show that he was indeed who he said he was. Well, that and of course because it broke his heart to not do them. Yet, I really lack faith that he does them today, not being humanly present. A big part of me thinks this topic belongs in your “taboo” category. One prayer that has become my life prayer is that the holy land will become a land of justice and peace again–it is the one bold prayer that I pray regularly after visiting and witnessing the injustice that occurs there. Ironically Israel/Palestine is called the Holy Land, when these days it is anything but.
Helene and I have said countless prayers for our friends Herb and Leanna the last couple of years, yet to be honest most if not all have been uttered with a lot of doubt that God would really remove the cancer tumors from her brain. I am pretty much a mess right now–not really struggling with faith per se, but definitely struggling, as I believe I always will, with prayer and how it relates to miracles.
One of my all time favorite movie quotes is from Shadowlands (I hope you have seen this movie, if you have not, you and Val need to have a date with it!). If you do not know it is about C.S. Lewis and his relationship with Joy Gresham who was dying from cancer. Joy goes into remission and someone approaches C.S. Lewis and makes a comment regarding his faith that his prayers have been answered regarding Joy going into remission. Lewis responds, “My prayers don’t change God, they change me.” “Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow.” Seems odd to me that our prayers would convince Him to change his mind about healing someone. As far as healings are concerned, we are all passing from this life at some point. A couple added “vapors” here and there with healing seems somewhat trivial, and yet this so paradoxical because some added “vapors” to Leanna’s life would not be trivial at all to Helene and I and certainly not to her husband Herb at the moment.
So anyway, you got me with a lot going on in my head here. I hope you and anyone else that chooses to read this can make some heads and tales out of it!
Much love Brother!
Steve
thankx Steve, i hear you and you make a lot of sense in different areas
i guess one of the problems/struggles for me in this area is that i know it happens – i have friends who have seen blind people see, and the lame walk
it just hasn’t happened with me being the particular vessel or messenger of healing in the way i would like to see happen
and so the wrestling continues – like you kinda said, shakes me but not so much my faith… maybe even strengthens it in parts…
as always, God is bigGER… and maybe my faith for money or things covers up a lack for my friend who has faith for healing miracles and if so then it is imperative that the two of us continue to hang out…
The comment Steve made regarding prayer is interesting, that we cannot change God. True, we cannot change Him [character]… but is prayer not us declaring our faith to Him (even if ye little) and putting hope in him to heal? God wants us to pray and that must mean something…. Hmmmm :/
“Ask and you shall receive” comes to mind – why would he want us to ask if he would’ve given it to us whether we asked or not? The only reason I can think of is that He wants us to first choose Him; declare the He is the one we are putting our faith in to fix this problem, taking comfort/refuge in, and conversing/understanding Him more.
Maybe He’s going to fix the problem with medicine and that was His plan all along (?).
Wendy’s comment regarding prayer vs. command is also insightful – should we then command and not ask? Can’t we do both at once? (Haha sounds like that would be cornering God into doing something – we’ve got all angles covered!!)
This is helpful and the last 3 sentences sum it up I guess (granted all of this is us racking our brains and might not be Thee truth): http://carm.org/prayer-change-gods-mind
Your posts are often incredibly honest and therefore awesome! People can relate and then can truly learn from one another, rather than hoping that just because they believe, they understand. Whether many people physically put in effort to comment on your posts or not (which would be cool) at least everyone who has read this is bound to be talking to themselves/others about it.
thankx Jabberdoodle [what a cool handle!] – honesty is a big value of mine so i do try to keep it real and as you say while it would be nicer to have more engagement on here with the issues it is good if people are thinking about it and discussing with others… thankx for the encouragement!
We’ve had a lot of discussions at our home group about healing. Modelling Jesus’ example, we don’t pray and ask God to heal the person if it is His will – because it would always be His will that His dearly-loved children are healed and free from pain. I’m trying to understand the authority that God has given us/me and command healing in Jesus’ name. Another thing which is important is discernment – is there something spiritual that needs to be dealt with first, that is ‘blocking’ the healing? I witnessed my hubby’s leg being healed and it was amazing. Looking forward to seeing God’s power touching people this year!