(WARNING, if you are a religious person, you may be offended by this blog: in which case, DO NOT READ ANY FARTHER! I wrote this blog on Monday but have been waiting to post it out of concern that some people might be offended. After listening to last night’s sermon, I feel good about posting it. If it causes anybody to get their shorts in a knot, that’s their problem; so here goes. )
Jesus’s next encounter with illness came when He went to Peter’s house. Peter’s wife’s mother was in bed sick with a fever. Jesus said, “Take 2 Tylenol and call me in the morning!” Oop’s no Tylenol available! What ya gonna do? Jesus just touched her and her fever was gone! What’s next?
They (we’re not told who they are!) brought many that were possessed with devils and He healed ALL that were sick! No exceptions. The writer, inspired by the Holy Spirit, relates sickness with the Satan. Today, we don’t even mention Satan in most of our churches and certainly not in the same sentence with sickness. We are more educated! Satan is such an old school idea. We are more enlightened! Well in the old school, all the sick got healed! Somehow I like the old school better! As they say the proof is in the pudding! Sickness is from Satan. Jesus came to defeat Satan. Jesus defeated the works of the devil. Jesus defeated sickness! End of discussion! NOT, if you are part of most religious establishments today!
Why no exceptions? Because He was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah.
“And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. 16When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: 17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses
Where is that prophecy?
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? A normal sane person would interpret this to mean that “by his stripes we are healed”. A group of fisherman would take it this way. A child would take it this way! BUT, not a religious person. This does not sit well with most religious people’s experiences! If it really means “with his stripes we are healed”, it would mean that healing is part of the atonement. It was paid for at Calvary. This is where all the religious people get hung up! Jesus had not yet been beaten or crucified, so they conclude that healing is not part of the atonement. I personally don’t get too hung up on when in Jesus’s atoning life, he took care of sickness. I just know it says that he did it. Jesus’s entire ministry was part of His atoning work. He forgave sins before He was crucified. If He could do that before He actually died on the cross, why can’t sickness be the same. OOPs, He did say they were the same.
Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? (Mark 2:9)
Why is this so significant? If it is not part of the atonement, it is not for everyone. Religious people use this argument to explain why when we pray, people don’t get healed most of the time. If it is part of the atonement it can be appropriated by faith like salvation. If this is the case, then lack of healing is the church’s responsibility. It is easier to change our theology than to recognize or admit that our faith is too weak. We’d have to admit that maybe we “have the form of godliness, but deny the power thereof”. We’d have to admit that we often play church and talk “christianese”.
I find it more rational and realistic to admit that my faith is too small than to interpret scripture to fit my experience. Healing is part of my Father’s character. Healing is part of His plan to restore man to oneness with the Himself. Sickness came as a result of Adam’s sin. Jesus came to restore everything that sin took. Sin took health away, God wants to restore it!
Jesus said that we need to have child-like faith. What is child-like faith? A child believes everything their father says without reading the fine print. They have not met any used car salesmen yet! (Sorry, if there are any used car salesmen reading this blog) We have a lot of religious people who act like God is used car salesman. You need to read the fine print. “Is” does not always mean “is”. Sorry, but you can keep your theology, I’ll keep believing in Jehovah – Rapha. Is my faith where it could and should be? No, but, I am growing.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17)
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