Title Sickness and Health / Luke 8:40-56
Content disease and health
Health is an important concern for modern people. Many people are suffering from large and small ailments. Therefore, the incident of Jesus healing the sick is always interesting to think about, and it makes us want the Lord to perform such miracles for us as well. In this text, we realize that the Lord has the authority to heal those who are afflicted with diseases, living or dead.
First, Jesus' healing power was instantaneous.
An incurable woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years, but no doctor could cure, trusted Jesus with faith and touched the edge of His clothes, and the bleeding stopped immediately. The paralytic, who had been carried by four people to bed, immediately got up from the bed, took his bedding, and went home. Peter's mother-in-law, who had been paralyzed with a severe fever, was immediately able to get up and entertain her. The centurion's servant soon became strong. What they have in common is that there is no need for a recovery period from illness, and they are immediately healthy.
The blind man of Bethsaida would seem to be an exception at first glance. When Jesus spit in his eyes and laid his hands on his hands, he did not see clearly at first and replied, "I see things like trees walking." It is recorded in Mark 8:22-25 that when the Lord laid his hands on his eyes again, he saw all things clearly. But how long would that have been? It was at most two minutes. It never took a week or a month or a year to recover. Therefore, this case should also be viewed as an immediate cure.
It must be remembered that all scenes of healing found throughout the Bible are instantaneous. When the leper, Naaman, immersed himself seven times in the Jordan River, he was immediately healed. King Hezekiah, who was ill to death, was healed immediately.
"...I am the LORD who heals you" (Exodus 16:26).
Second, all diseases stem from sin.
The world God created in six days was really good in His eyes. There was no suffering from illness and disease. But we now live in a world where disease is rampant. An explanation of this change can be found in Exodus. When God sent the plagues to punish Egypt, he made teeth of dust (8:16-17), caused severe malice in livestock (9:3), and made poisonous bells from the ashes of the furnace (9:8-10). . God commanded the people of Israel to use this event as a mirror and lead a life of obedience. When Israel disobeyed and sinned, God sternly warned that they would develop pneumonia, fever, bruises, epilepsy, plague, boils, hemorrhoids, scurvy, and open sores (Deuteronomy 28:20-21,27,59-60). ).
In the end, we can see that all diseases that are not only pleasing to man, but also to God, have appeared in stages after the first creation as chastisement and judgment for human sin. The same is true of recent AIDS or Ebla disease. As long as human history continues and human sin continues, we can predict that new diseases will appear in the future. It should not be forgotten that not all ill people suffer from their sins. It is clear, however, that all diseases are directly or indirectly related to one's own sins, the sins of others, or the sins of society.
Third, living in obedience to the truth gradually restores physical health.
I hear many testimonies from Christians that various diseases have been cured after believing in Jesus. Praise God for these things. Knowing that all diseases originate from sin, you will naturally feel that you can recover from disease if you abstain from sin. Those who are forgiven of their sins and are saved will have a new personality and a new way of life. A life of obedience to the word of truth can be likened to a gradual recovery from a sick person by acting according to a doctor's prescription. So you can restore your health.
“Do not be wise in yourselves, fear the Lord and turn away from evil, for it will be good for your body and nourish your marrow” (Proverbs 3:7-8).
A Christian with a disease must first know that "only God can heal, and doctors are chosen as God's co-workers in treatment." Whether you pray, fast, see a doctor, or take medications, ultimately, God will heal you. To be more precise, it means that the natural healing power that God has given to our body is activated through various means to heal diseases. Trust in God who heals. Jesus said to the bleeding woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
Finally, we need to know the limits of our body that we cannot help but age due to sin. Those who live a life of obedience to the truth can live a much healthier life than those who do not, but they cannot lead a life like youth indefinitely. The outward man tends to perish (2 Corinthians 4:16). Isn't it more important to pray for the health of the inner person rather than clinging to a weakening body and asking for some life extension?