The series of posts is part of a discussion I am having
with some other Christians. It is a very
important question for those who seek to help those in pain as well as those
who hurt. Those of us in the healing
professions are often here because we ant to help those who suffer. You see us briefly for treatment and go on
your way.
What you miss is our inner struggle. We actually care about what we are
doing. We don’t just apply a procedure,
perform a service, or prescribe a pill.
We leave the treatment room and think long and hard about what worked
and what did not. We think about those
we have tried to help. On my own part I
can say that I go home and scour medical journals and books looking for ways to
improve what I do and for answers to why a particular person may not be
responding as I like.
The last post focused on Biblical reasons that people
suffer. In this post I want to look at what
the Bible says about healing and healers.
I am going to do it in a way to answer a question that a friend
has. We will give this person a nice
unisex name. How about Alex? You supply the gender.
Alex is a massage therapist like me. These are 2 related comments that I will be
responding to. Please keep in mind that
the purpose of this post is instruction.
I am not making a personal attack.
I am trying to build up and help another who professes faith. Alex said:
“I
want to see MS be cured, the paralyzed to walk, and bodies be redeemed. I know
God can do that through me as a vessel, but what's blocking it. How can we
remove ourselves out of the picture from doing tangible acts like massage &
allow God to supersede our limited thinking with His limitless power?”
“However, John 14:12 keeps
nagging at me, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me,
the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do;
because I go unto my Father."
Human rationalizations or even
Biblical interpretations don't seem to suffice this hunger in me to see those red
letter words fulfilled. If that's what HE said isn't that what we should be
doing or expecting instead of trying to explain it away? The power of sin could
never overcome the power of salvation.”
Alex wants to know why the people he/she touches are not
responding in an even greater way than what happened for Jesus. It’s a valid question. A bible verse has been quoted. It appears
according to the theology of the first glance that we should be out performing
Jesus. It looks like that is what he
clearly said. Why ARE we explaining away
what God the Son, the second person of the Trinity said? What are we to do?
If you are suffering from chronic pain you might well have
the same sentiment. Where are these
healers? You would even be satisfied
with what Jesus did!
It would probably be a good idea to go the passage mentioned
by Alex. I will go a little before and after:
John 14:11- 14 Believe Me that I
am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the
works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the
works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do,
because I go to My Father. And whatever
you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the
Son. If you ask anything in My name, I
will do it.
In the context Jesus states that his works in and of
themselves should cause those who see them to believe in him. There is no local context that tells us what
these works are. This chapter is silent
but we do learn something about the purpose of the works of Jesus that are
recorded in the book of John. He says
here that these works should lead us to faith.
John 20:30 - 31 “And truly Jesus
did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in
this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” So we see
twice that the purpose of the works was to drive us to faith. Another interesting thing is that these works
were not few in number. John says again
chapter 21: 25 “And there are also many
other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose
that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
Amen.”
So Jesus came and did many great works to cause people to
have faith in him. Why on earth would
they do that? Why don’t we just record
them in Ripley’s Believe it or Not and chalk it up to an interesting
story that has no effect on our lives?
Why is it that according to 1Co 1:22
“Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom…” Why in fact did Nicodemous say in John
3:2 "Rabbi, we know that You are a
teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is
with him." What is this about signs
and faith?
It began with Moses:
Exodus 4:1-9 Then Moses answered and said, "But
suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, 'The
LORD has not appeared to you.' " So the LORD said to him, "What is
that in your hand?" He said, "A rod." And He said, "Cast it on the
ground." So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses
fled from it. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Reach out your hand and take
it by the tail" (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became
a rod in his hand), "that they may believe that the LORD God of their
fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has
appeared to you." Furthermore the LORD said to him, "Now put your
hand in your bosom." And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it
out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. And He said, "Put your hand
in your bosom again." So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it
out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh. "Then
it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign,
that they may believe the message of the latter sign. And it shall be, if they
do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall
take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take
from the river will become blood on the dry land."
Moses needed to speak to the leaders of Israel. God gave him signs to show that he was indeed
bringing a message from God. They knew
the time was near because God had told Abram in Gen 15:13 “Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly
that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will
serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation
whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.” So the signs and wonders were used to
authenticate that the messenger was in fact from God.
There was also the promise of the Messiah. We read of the amazing things that he was to
do through then entire Old Testament.
The Old Testament scriptures describe the offices he was to fulfill as
Prophet (Dt. 18:18-22), Priest (Ps 110 ) , and King (2 Sam 7). In the discharge of his Kingly office he was
to heal: Isa 35:5-6 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears
of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the
tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And
streams in the desert. “
So, the Jews were waiting for a Messiah who was a
healer. When John the Baptist was having
a crisis of faith in prison he sent messengers to Jesus. Look at Jesus’ reply in Luke 7:19-22:
And John, calling two of his
disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or
do we look for another?" When the men had come to Him, they said,
"John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or
do we look for another?' " And that very hour He cured many of
infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.
Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have
seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the
deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
The healings of Jesus were presented to John the Baptist to
demonstrate that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.
The healings were additional proof to the Jewish people that Jesus was
the promised Messiah. The Apostles
continued this ministry.
So Jesus tells his disciples, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works
than these he will do…” Did the Apostles
do anything more fantastic than Jesus did when raising the dead or making the
lame to walk? If they did it is not
recorded in scripture. This would be a
great place for a non believer to cast aspersions on the truth of
scripture. Jesus said it and it did not
happen.
That is a pretty scary thought. The Jews would have made good use of such an
argument. We read in the passage where
the coming of the Prophet is announced exactly how to tell a true from a false
prophet. Deut. 18:20 - 22 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word
in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name
of other gods, that prophet shall die.' And if you say in your heart, 'How
shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?'—when a prophet speaks in
the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the
thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously;
you shall not be afraid of him.” The Jews
would certainly have made use of this argument when bring the Apostles to trial
– yet it is never mentioned. Why?
There was a common type of argument used by the Jews at this
time. It was called an argument from the
lesser to the greater. We see Jesus
using this when he talked about the unjust judge. Luk 18:1-7 “ Then He spoke a parable to them, that men
always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: "There was in a certain
city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that
city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' And
he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not
fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her,
lest by her continual coming she weary me.' "Then the Lord said,
"Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect
who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?” The argument
was that if an unjust judge would hear an entreaty he cared nothing about and
would deal righteously – hom much more would the Father?
Another instance is displayed in Matt. 7:9-11 “ Or what man
is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if
he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know
how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is
in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” If these natural arguments are true, how much
more will God bless us!
My favorite is Mat 9:2-8
“Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus
saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your
sins are forgiven you." And at once some of the scribes said within
themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" But Jesus, knowing their thoughts,
said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say,
'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? But that you may
know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"—then He said
to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. "And
he arose and departed to his house. Now when the multitudes saw it, they
marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.” This is really
amazing – is it more difficult to do the spiritual or the physical
healing. This is really pertinent.
This statement of
Jesus regarding greater works is another example of this type of argument. Which is more difficult or spectacular. I think John Gill says it well in his
commentary on this verse:
“John
14:12
Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that believeth on me,.... Having mentioned his miracles as proofs of his
deity, he assures his disciples, in order to comfort them under the loss of his
bodily presence, that they should do the same, and greater works; for we are
not to understand these words of everyone that believes in Christ, of every
private believer in him, but only of the apostles, and each of them, that were
true believers in him: to whom he says,
the works that I do shall he do
also; he shall raise the dead, heal all manner of diseases, and cast out
devils; things which Christ gave his apostles power to do, when he first gave
them a commission to preach the Gospel, and when he renewed and enlarged it:
and which they did perform, not in their own name, and by their own power, but
in the name, and by the power of Christ: and greater works than these shall he
do; meaning, not greater in nature and kind, but more in number; for the
apostles, in a long series of time, and course of years, went about preaching
the Gospel, not in Judea only, but in all the world; "God also bearing
them witness with signs and wonders, and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy
Ghost", Heb_2:4, wherever they went: though perhaps by these greater works
may be meant the many instances of conversion, which the apostles were
instrumental in, and which were more in number than those which were under our
Lord's personal ministry: besides, the conversion of a sinner is a greater work
than any of the miracles of raising the dead, &c. for this includes in it
all miracles: here we may see a sinner, dead in trespasses and sins, quickened;
one born blind made to see; one who was deaf to the threatenings of the law, and
to the charming voice of the Gospel, made to hear, so as to live; and one that
had the spreading leprosy of sin all over him, cleansed from it by the blood of
the Lamb yea, though a miracle in nature is an instance and proof of divine
power, yet the conversion of a sinner, which is a miracle in grace, is not only
an instance of the power of God, and of the greatness of it, but of the
exceeding greatness of it: and the rather one may be induced to give in to this
sense of the passage, since it is added, as a reason, because I go to my
Father; and upon my ascension the Spirit will be given, to you, which shall not
only enable you to perform miracles, as proofs of your apostleship, and the
doctrine you preach, but which shall powerfully attend the Gospel to the
conversion of multitudes of souls.”
Far from “explaining this verse away” this post illustrates
how these words would have been understood by those who heard them. The greater works had more to do with the
progress of the gospel going from Jerusalem and Judea unto the uttermost parts
of the earth. There is still much to be
said. Lord willing – more to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment