The recent health care reform bill has caused a lot of distress among the American people and raised much debate among the politicians, for example the pre existing condition exclusion clause. “Many Americans have health-related problems that insurance companies define as pre existing conditions. If you are applying for insurance, some health insurance companies may accept you conditionally by providing a pre-existing condition exclusion period.”[1] Under such circumstances health care either becomes unaffordable for many or those who really need of health care may be denied.
As the insurance costs are sky rocketing one would wish that he or she need not have to go to the hospital at all in the first place. On the other hand many are turning to alternative methods of healing including Christians. A new poll by the Princeton Religious Research Center shows that "Roughly half of all Americans say that they believe in extrasensory perception. 30% of Roman Catholics and 22% of Protestants believe in clairvoyance, while 48% of Roman Catholics and 44% of Protestants believe in psychic healing. ”[2] To its credit the Catholic Church issued a decree In March 2009, to halt the practice of Reiki by Catholics used in some Catholic retreat centers and hospitals. The decree reads "since Reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centers, or persons representing the Church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy."
How far Christians have moved away from the truth? Instead of turning to God for healing, guidance and counsel; people are consulting psychics and mediums. Is it wrong to consulting Psychic mediums who claim to perform miracles for healing? If Reiki therapy is inappropriate then what alternative do we have for true physical and emotional healing? Does the Bible offer any answers to certain conditions that are beyond the scope of medical sciences? In this highly scientifically developed world can we still believe God for healing? What is the secret of staying healthy hence minimizing doctor’s visits?
I. HEALING SCRIPTURES IN THE BIBLE
From Exodus to Isaiah and Psalms to Proverbs the Bible is rich with verses about healing to the sick and comfort to the hurting. Here are a few of them:
A. God removes sickness: God sent an angel to prepare the way for the Israelites and guard them along the way to the Promised Land. He gave them certain instructions to follow. If they listened to Him and followed his instructions he promised to “Bless their food and water and he will take away sickness from among them, and none will miscarry or be barren in the land every one will live out a full span of life. In other words if we follow his commandments there will be no sudden or premature deaths, and experience good health in our lives. (Exodus 23: 25)
“You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless nor any of your livestock with out young. The Lord will keep you from every disease.” Deut 7:14-15. The same promises that were made to Israelites should hold good for all of God’s Children. Right? But when we look at certain statistics in the US it is staggering. “The United States of America spends more on health care than any other industrial nation, yet it has the highest infant death rates and the lowest life expectancy.”[3]
In 2006 a widely distributed report from the group Save the Children, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, tied the United States with Malta and Slovakia for the second-worst infant-mortality rate among developed nations (at about six per 1,000 live births).”[4] According to the United Nations Life expectancy list (2005-2010) USA is ranked at 38 with a life expectancy rate of 75.6 for males and 80.8 for females. What conclusions can we draw from this? Whatever may be projections of the United Nations or any other group the Bible projects God as a loving God who loves to heal and bless his people.
B. God’s healing love: Our God is a loving God. He wants his people to live in relative comfort and health. He understands our sickness more than anyone else. Whenever we are sick and in distress and cry out to God, out of his enduring love for us he heals us and removes that distress. “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.” Psalm 107:19-21 surely that must have been King David’s experience. “O Lord my God I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.” I can testify that there are numerous occasions when Wilma and I have cried out to God for healing God heard our prayers and he has healed me, my wife and my children.
These scriptures seem to indicate that God removes sickness and he loves to heal people then why don’t we experience that healing promised in the scriptures? Why some of us continue to struggle with sickness in spite of being prayed over? I don’t fully understand why, certain sicknesses come to us that are out of our control, some come as trails by the enemy but many others come because our disobedience to God. Our over all well being is determined by how well we are following God’s instructions found in the Bible. When we obey God’s law it is good for our bodies, for our families, for our Church, for our city and for our nation.
He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commandments and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you." Exodus 15:26
“My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body” Proverbs 4:20-22
“Don’t be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” Prov 3:8 these scriptures do give us but scriptures do give us some insights on how one can receive healing and continue to remain healthy.
You might be saying well that sounds good; I will try to follow the commands of God next time, but now I am sick and I need help, what hope do I have? Once I visited a Catholic hospital where I saw certain sign boards along the way as I walked to the ward where my sister was admitted. This is how the signs were read: “The greatest Physician is on duty” I was a bit incredulous by looking at that sign, as went further I saw another sign that red “His name is Jesus” I was glad that they didn’t say that his name was “Pope John Paul” another sign read “walk ins are welcome” another sign read “The consultation Fee’s is FAITH” in big bold letters Let me introduce to you the divine physician who is on duty today in our service. His name is Jesus. You can come to him with whatever problem you may have; all you need is Faith.
II. CHRIST THE DIVINE HEALER(Luke chapter 8)
The best of the best doctors in the world and the psychic mediums can come no where near and heal people the way Christ the divine healer can do. Jesus during his time on earth performed many miracles, healed all kinds of sicknesses and delivered people from demonic oppressions; he even raised people from the dead. Dr. Luke one of Jesus’ disciples recorded twenty miracles out of them fifteen are healing miracles. As a doctor himself he observed those healing miracles with keen interest. By mentioning these healing miracles Dr. Luke projected Christ as the divine healer and the greatest physician who ever lived.
I would like to high light one such miracle found in Luke Chapter 8 to help us understand the power of Christ to heal any and every sickness. Jesus was on the way to heal the twelve year old daughter of a high ranking official in the society. It was an important mission for him. But along the way a socially isolated woman approaches him in search of healing. Would Jesus stop and heal this woman? By the way why was she socially isolated? First of all she was a woman, secondly she was rich, and thirdly she was having a problem of bleeding which made her unclean according to Lev 15:25, “When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge.”
This woman must have been living in isolation on the fringes of society for twelve years because of the issue of blood. Although her physical condition was not contagious her ritual condition was, with the consequence that she had lived in humiliation and in the fear of her community these twelve years. We learn from the story she must have been a very rich lady that she could afford to see many doctors to get cured from her condition.
She had spent all the money she had, and visited all the doctors she could possibly visit, but of no use, instead of getting better her situation got worse. It looks like all the doctors had given up hope on her. Dr. Luke rightly put it, “No one could heal her” Let me pause here for a while; Are you suffering with something that is beyond the cure of doctors? May be a physical condition or an emotional condition? And are you distressed about it like the woman in the story? Is your situation getting worse instead of getting better? If you or your loved one is in that situation I have good news for you today. There is no situation beyond remedy.
In the midst of her desperation this woman must have remembered what she had heard about Jesus. So she said to her self, “if I only touch his cloak I will be healed,” (Mk 5:27) what a statement of faith. She took all the courage she had, over came the social and religious barriers came behind Jesus and touched his cloak. Why did she come behind Jesus? Why not from the front? Why did she want to be so secretive? In ancient Israel, “women were not allowed to testify in court trials. They could not go out in public, or talk to strangers. When outside of their homes, they were to be doubly veiled. "They had become second-class Jews, excluded from the worship and teaching of God, with status scarcely above that of slaves."[5]
The moment she touched the cloak immediately her bleeding stopped! She received her miracle. Realizing that power had gone out of him Jesus asked who touched him. This tells us that Jesus was carrying divine power to heal but also noticed when the power actually went out to heal. Peter replied Lord it is unfair to ask who touched you when the crowds are pressing against you. This tells us that the crowds were touching Jesus but were all the sick among them healed? Then why only this woman received healing? What was so special about her?
This woman exhibited unusual boldness and unequalled faith in the miracle working power of Christ, that’s what set her apart from the rest of the crowds. When finally Jesus pressed who touched him this woman could not hide it any longer, she came in front of Jesus trembling and humbly fell at his feet and narrated how instantly she was healed. Upon hearing that Jesus commended her saying, “Daughter your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” What do you mean “your faith has healed you” wasn’t she already healed when she touched the cloak? Yes she was indeed healed of her physical sickness but now Jesus pronounced her salvation she could have peace with God with herself and with others.
What a tender way of calling her daughter, it is only here we hear such address and nowhere else in all the recordings of Jesus. Can you imagine what must have gone through her mind, Me, he is calling me his daughter? She must have jumped for joy with that address. All these years she lived in seclusion, suffered with guilt and shame, now all of a sudden she was healed not only that, she was affirmed in her identity. By way of calling her daughter, Jesus has opened up a way for her to come back to God. Until that time she was nobody but now she belonged. This is not documented, but I wouldn’t be surprised that this woman may have become one of the followers of Jesus, just like the Mary of Magdalene from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. What a powerful faith encounter.
Maybe you need a miracle today. You may be facing a situation that may be beyond your control. It may be physical, financial, relational or emotional. No sickness is too great and no problem is too big that Jesus can not heal and solve. Would you press in to touch Jesus today? He is here, he sees you and he knows your need and he is waiting for you to touch him you’re your faith.
[1] http://healthinsurance.about.com/od/healthinsurancebasics/a/preexisting_conditions_overview.htm
[2] Christianity Today, February 10, 1992.
[3] http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/11/inequality-the-root-source-of-sickness-in-america/
[4] http://www.slate.com/id/2161899/
[5] http://www.religioustolerance.org/cfe_bibl.htm
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