I was blown away, again, by God’s purposes in healing the paralytic of his disability:
“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” (Mark 2:10-11)
Do you feel the earth move at that statement? Healing this man of his disability was certainly a good and kind thing, but it was not the main thing. Jesus’ authority to forgive sins is the main thing. And he healed him “that you may know” that Jesus has this authority. This knowledge is a kindness extended to everyone, not just the one man who was healed.
So, it is good to fight the temptation to make physical healing the main thing in our relationship with Jesus.
And we see another example of this authority in John 5:1-18, the healing at the pool of Bethesda. Pastor John helpfully provided this statement in a sermon on that passage:
Jesus seeks out the man in the temple and tells him the real issue in his healing. “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.’” What’s the issue? The issue is holiness mainly, not health. “I have healed you to make you holy.”
I pray earnestly for my wife, that God would continue to hold her cancer at bay. Praying for healing is a very good and appropriate thing. But it is a good thing only because it is subordinate to the main thing: Jesus Christ, my savior and my God.
The Works of God 
Amen.
Amen amen amen.
Thanks be to God! It really is easy to forget this while you’re suffering. I read something recently that made this point: if all God did with miracles was heal someone, then he could just prevented them from getting sick in the first place, which means there must be something more to miracles than healing.
Thinking about this, I wrote something similar yesterday (also using the story of the paralytic), thinking more about why we don’t see usually see miracles.
If you’re interested, here’s the link: http://www.joyfulroses.com/2010/01/the-miracle-of-a-missing-miracle/
This makes so much sense. Thank you for posting this.
I think of this passage quite often even though I’m not dealing with health issues. I think healing could really be anything, even emotional stuff too. Physical is more obvious, but emotional things are easier to hide. My point is that this verse often comes to my mind when something is really hard for me…or I’m trying to overcome something really quite difficult on my own strength. God doesn’t want us to use our own strength. Instead, He wants us to come to Him and lean on Him. This is such a different message — being sick (emotionally or physically) and being righteous. There are many preachers that do not teach this. They say if you are sick or struggling, its due to sin. This message is hope. It’s hope to all who are suffering that God wants to refine us and bring us to Himself. God is so full of grace. I fail to see that sometimes. I really do. Being content and comfortable doesn’t equal holiness. This, atleast for me, brings me hope.
Amen!
I hope none believe that God gives diseases, illnesses or sickness to teach us a point. I do hope they believe that regardless of circumstance or situation Jesus’ grace and compassion is present and a resource for strength. Miracles are signs and wonders. I believe they are signs that point to a reality superior to this one. I pray with you as well that your wife experience total wholeness and restoration and that she gets a report of being “cancer-free.”
AMEN
LB, I guess the question is what is the reality that the ‘sign’ pointing to?
I agree that Jesus makes us whole. But I guess I just believe that you can be made whole, and still be broken physically.
What if he uses cancer to make us more holy or to bring us to a state of humility and that leads to sanctification or even repentence unto salvation?? God IS sovereign , right?
Thanks for the reflection this morning. About to help my 29 year old son with his morning routine. That he can wake up with a smile always reminds me of God’s great love for us, His redemptive love.
I appreciate your writings. Anne
onegirlfriday.blogspot.com
@ Steph. I believe that the ‘sign’ is pointing to the reality that Jesus is Lord and Ruler over all diseases. Hebrews 1 teaches us that Jesus is the exact representation of God the Father. Jesus healed all who were sick. I don’t know why everyone is not healed. I blame no one for it. I embrace the mystery and ask the two questions asked in Acts 2. What does this mean? What do I do? In an effort not to be misunderstood (which is a challenge in a forum such as this) my own mother passed away with cancer several years ago. I prayed for healing and excercised as much faith as I knew how. She was not healed on this side of heaven, but certainly on the other side. I am concerned if people believe God gives a disease to “make us more holy” as mentioned. If Jesus died for our healing, why would God violate that, by giving us a disease? Can he do through his good works, what people believe he is trying to accomplish through sickness or disease?
I admit I am a bit nervous about coming across as fundamental. I have more questions than answers, but I want all of our living, good, bad and ugly, to bring us to an encounter with God’s nature, character and love. I just don’t believe he gives disease to accomplish that. I believe he heals disease.
thank you very much for the wisdom you’ve shared with us.
My mind has run through exactly the same thoughts about a million times.
Here’s where I’m at:
I’ve come to believe that God’s sovereignty means that He plans ALL things to bring glory to Jesus. ALL things. I believe that He gives diseases to accomplish that.
I find it very odd hearing myself say that. Because for a very long time I didn’t believe it.
For the longest time, I was just plain confused. But during 6 weeks traveling around the States, finishing up at the Passion2010 Conference, He gave me answers that apart from the light of His grace, I would never have been able to see as His truth. As His beautiful truth.
I agree that He is Lord over diseases. But that was not the reason He came to earth. I know you know that, I guess what I’m saying is that He didn’t heal all the sick people – out of the multitudes by the pool, He chose to heal just one. I acknowledge that He is able to heal all – but if He will be more glorified if a person is kept sick, I believe He is committed to His glory. And what I’ve realised is that His glory is my good. His glory is what I was wired to worship, and it is in His glory that I find my deepest satisfaction and joy. It’s in Him, more than physical comfort or painlessness.
He is my delight; not health.
I understand what you’re saying. Like, I really do. And I’m constantly torn in two.
But I don’t think Jesus died for our healing. I think He died to free us to worship Him, to magnify the glory of His grace.
I worship a God-centred God. Not a man-centred God.
And that is my ultimate good. It really, truly is.
I’m 20, and for 5 years I’ve had a Parkinsonian condition called hemidystonia; I haven’t been able to use my right side. Sure, it sucks. But giving us diseases isn’t undermining Jesus’ work on the cross; far from it!
I know that for me, my condition has hurtled me closer to the foot of the Cross than if I had never been sick. And although I believe that He is my Father who will make me well, I know that He wants my good more than He wants my comfort; and I trust Him with that. I trust Him that what He has worked out for my life will glorify Him more than what I would have planned for myself. And more than anything, I want my life to reflect the face of Jesus into the darkness of the world. If being sick does that more effectively and more brightly than being well; bring it on.
I just finished Piper’s book ‘A sweet and bitter providence’. I found it so clear, beautiful and full of much needed truth.
‘I learned He never gives a thorn without this added grace,
He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides His face.’
– Martha Nicholson
I still believe that Jesus has power to heal, and that we should wait on Him, ascribing Him the glory of being all to us (to paraphrase Andrew Murray). But I believe that as we see in the next chapter of John, when Jesus feeds the multitudes, we see that He is frustrated when they see Him as merely USEFUL for satisfying their unregenerate cravings. More than anything, I want to crave HIM. More than healing. More than calm seas, I want His presence. I want HIM. I want all my delight to be in Him. All of my hope. All of my strength.
Being sick helps keep my gaze on Him. Being dis-abled removes so many distractions. Not all of them; self-pity and desire for comfort are struggles.
But, gosh.
‘One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to GAZE upon the beauty of the LORD, to seek Him in His temple.’
He has made me whole. He might heal me physically in this life; and I will wait on Him in faith for that. But I refuse to believe that God did not plan my sickness. Because that means He was not in control of it. Instead, He planned it out.
Praise Him for it.
@ Steph. You have done a great job at sharing your heart and I appreciate the gentle nature with which you type. I was afraid of getting into a “dialogue” with someone who is so rigid in their beliefs that their is no room for learning and renewal. I pray that you experience God’s healing power concerning your physical body. I think you and I probably “agree to disagree.” I echo loudly your sentiment to give God glory in all things. That is my soul’s cry and I hope it would be so if I found myself in a form of sickness or disease. However, I can not come to a place in my thinking and in my paradigm that allows for a Good God to give bad things. I do not believe that God gets glory out of giving you a disease, he gets glory out of your maturity to see beyond the disease and to see his nature. I believe that is part of the redemptive nature of Jesus at work in us, in the midst of disease. He does not give it to me to get glory, but he wants to know will he get glory in the midst of it. Do you ever wonder how Hebrews tells us that Jesus is exactly like God and no where in the gospels do we see him give a disease?
Your point is well taken about the waters being stirred and him healing just one. Mystery! I don’t have answers for that. Maybe what I am about to say is illogical, but if I want to get recognition from my son (who is 4) for being a great father and the only way to do it is to inflict him with a disease would be child abuse. God is committed to his glory, but he is also committed to that glory being lived out through his supernatural power in healing people.
I appreciate your heart and the perspective you have. I also appreciate the tone of our discussion. The last thing we need are two believers destroying each other other over the validity of the scriptures. May you experience greater realms of intimacy with God and I pray that you find yourself becoming more and more his beloved daughter. May the Holy Spirit come upon you and heal you. Not to validate my point, but to validate his love for you.
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