Healing the sick

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. (Mark 1:29–31)

Rebuking a fever

Luke's gospel gives us more detail about this event: it tells us that Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever (Luke 4:38–39).The Greek word used means 'exceeding, or great', so this woman's condition was serious. It goes on to say that Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her. The Greek word used (epitimao) is the same word used to describe the way that Jesus spoke to the evil spirit in Mark 1:25. That would suggest that some form of demonic power was causing this fever and, when Jesus rebuked it, it departed from her.

Luke tells us that as soon as the fever left her she got up and began to wait on them, which was God's will for her life at that point in time. The devil was trying to stop Peter's mother-in-law from doing what God wanted her to do, as he will try to stop any Christian from doing what God wants them to do (1 Thessalonians 2:18). But Jesus healed her so that she could continue to do God's will.

Sickness should be resisted

I've heard Christians say that God allowed sickness to come into their lives so that he could speak to them. Their lives were so busy that they were unable to hear what the Lord was saying. It was only when they were ill, and forced to rest, that they could hear the voice of the Spirit.

If that is true, then it's very sad. Each one of us should be spending quality time with the Lord on a regular basis. When this is done, as a habit of life, the Lord will have plenty of time to speak to us and we will be able to hear clearly what he's saying.

Others say they are sick because God is testing their patience. It is true that, even when prayer is offered in faith, healing is not always immediate, and this does test our patience and our perseverance in prayer. But the fact is that God does heal and his delays are not his denials. We should continue to pray in faith until we receive our healing.

Others, having prayed for healing for a while, conclude that their sickness must be a thorn, the like of which Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 12:7–9:

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'

This argument may sound spiritual, but to such people I ask: What surpassingly great revelations have you received that God should find it necessary to give you a thorn to keep you humble? Have you been up to the third heaven as Paul had? Have you been to paradise and heard inexpressible things that man is not permitted to talk about (2 Corinthians 12:1–4)?

God allowed Paul to suffer a 'thorn' to keep him from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, but he is the only person in the New Testament who is said to have had such an affliction, and we're not even sure that it was physical. And, considering that God used Paul to write a large part of the New Testament, do we still consider ourselves in the same league as Paul, and that our sickness must be a thorn? I think it is highly unlikely.

A study of the gospels will show that Jesus healed everyone who came to him in faith; there was no one he turned away. And the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus still heals those who come to him in faith.

Sickness should be resisted and healing eagerly sought until we press through in faith and receive the blessing. We will be looking at two examples of people who did that later on in this study.

Jesus' popularity

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. (Mark 1:32–34)

John's gospel deals mainly with Jesus' ministry at Jerusalem and the opposition he experienced there from the Jewish leaders and the teachers of the law, but Mark's gospel emphasizes Jesus' popularity with the people, and we will see that many times as we continue with this series. In this passage Mark tells us that the whole town gathered at the door: that is popularity!

Radiating his glory

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: 'Everyone is looking for you!'

Jesus replied, 'Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come.' So he travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. (Mark 1:35–39)

Very early in the morning Jesus got up, went to a solitary place, and prayed. We are not told what our Lord prayed about, but he had a private time of communion with his Father in heaven, away from the bustle of the world.

Prayer is communion with God and can take many forms, including:

Praise
Worship
Presenting requests and petitions
Intercession
Thanksgiving
Meditating on God
Waiting on God and listening to his voice.

Such private prayer and communion with God strengthens us and builds us up spiritually.

When Moses came down from the mountain in Exodus 34:29, he did not realize that his face was radiant. The Hebrew word used means 'to shine or to emit rays of light'. Because Moses had spent a long time in God's presence, some of God's glory had been imparted to him and he was radiating that glory to the people. And, because God is light (1 John 1:5), his glory is manifested as light and was visible on Moses' face.

Matthew tells us that when Jesus went up the mountain he was 'transfigured' before them and his face 'shone like the sun' (Matthew 17:1–2). That means that light was coming from our Lord's' face as well. And Luke adds that the disciples saw his glory (Luke 9:32). Jesus' face, shining like the sun was, as in the case of Moses, a manifestation of God's glory.

We looked at 2 Corinthians 3:18 in the first study of this series and saw how God wants us all to be transformed into the likeness of his Son with ever-increasing glory. The Greek word translated 'transformed' in that verse is the same Greek word used to describe our Lord's experience on the mountain, where it's translated as 'transfigured'. That means that God wants to transfigure us, into the likeness his Son so that we, too, can radiate his glory on earth.

But how can a mere mortal receive God's glory to radiate it to the world? We receive it in the same way that Moses did—by spending time in his presence. Note that when Jesus went up a mountain he was transfigured, and when Moses went up a mountain he also was transfigured. Both of these events took place on mountains, and there was a reason for that—mountains symbolize places of peace and solitude where people can be alone with God.

Jesus never let his busy ministry or his fellowship with his disciples (as important as that was) rob him of his time alone with his Father—and neither should we. Because of his immense popularity, the only opportunity Jesus had to spend time with the Father on that particular day was very early in the morning. Not just early in the morning, but very early in the morning—probably while it was still dark and everyone else was asleep.

What lessons can we learn from this? There are several:

Jesus, as in every other area of life, sets the example for us to follow.
If Jesus, who was God himself, needed to pray to his Father in heaven, how much more do we need to pray to our Father in heaven.
Fellowship with other Christians, as important as that is (Hebrews 10:25), should never become a substitute for our own private communion with God. Both are needed for spiritual growth.
If we are too busy to spend time in private prayer with our heavenly Father, then we are just too busy, and a (prayerful) pruning of our lives is necessary.
It is God's will that we spend time in communion with him so, if we ask him, he will show us how to fit it into our lives.

Jesus is willing

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, 'If you are willing, you can make me clean.'

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. (Mark 1:40–42)

A leper came and, falling on his knees, begged Jesus to heal him. Our bodies often express our inmost feelings and this man, falling on his knees and crying out to the Lord, was showing just how desperate he was to be healed. When Jesus saw him he was filled with compassion and, reaching out to touch the man, he said, 'I am willing, be clean!'. Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. He is always willing to heal the sick, but how desperate are we to be healed? When healing doesn't come quickly, many Christians lose faith and conclude that it's not God's will to heal them. They lose the desperation to be healed that this man clearly showed.

The Bible says that when Jesus saw this man on his knees before him, he was filled with compassion and healed him. If you are not healed immediately, don't think that it's not God's will to heal you. Job's sickness in the Old Testament was terrible and prolonged, but what was the final outcome?

As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (James 5:11)

Jesus healed the leper who knelt before him. That man may have suffered from leprosy for many years, but God's time to heal him had now arrived. When the Lord saw Job's suffering he was also filled with compassion and, again, in God's time, after Job had persevered, he too was healed. And the Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first (Job 42:12)!

Our Lord is always full of compassion and mercy. He is always willing to heal. Never, ever give up praying for your healing.

The importance of the Word

Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 'See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.' Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. (Mark 1:43–45)

Jesus sent the man away with a strong warning: 'See that you don't tell this to anyone.' Why did he do that?

Our Lord knew that if this man told others about his healing, he would soon be swamped with people wanting to be healed. That is exactly what happened (v45), and it was not our Lord's desire.

In Mark 1:38 Jesus said:

'Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come.'

He didn't say: 'Let us go to some other villages so I can heal the sick there also.' Jesus had been sent to preach the Word of God, and preaching the Word of God is far more important than healing the sick.

Psalm 138:2 says:

…for you have exalted about all things your name and your word.

The preaching of the Word of God gives people an opportunity to respond to Christ and to be saved. The salvation of the soul is infinitely more important than the healing of the body. Jesus, of course, did both, because it is God's will that man is both saved and healed. But preaching the Word of God should always take priority.

Faith in action

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. (Mark 2:1–2)

Jesus preached the Word of God in Capernaum, but that didn't stop people from pressing through to be healed:

Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralysed man was lying on. (Mark 2:3–4)

The house was packed and there was such a large crowd outside that they couldn't even get this man to the door: there seemed no way they could get him to Jesus. But, as in most houses in Palestine at that time there would have been a stone staircase at the side leading up to a flat roof. Somehow, they managed to get this man up the stairs, with his mat, and then removed enough tiles so they could lower him to the feet of Jesus.

Can you imagine a large hole appearing in the roof above Jesus' head while he was speaking, and then a man being lowered on a mat into the room in front of him?

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.' (Mark 2:5)

The Bible doesn't say: 'When Jesus saw their impatience…' or 'When Jesus saw how they had interrupted his meeting…'. It says: 'When Jesus saw their faith…'. Jesus regarded what they had done as being faith in action.

James wrote:

You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. (James 2:18)

These men had demonstrated their faith to Jesus by what they did. They had stopped at nothing to get their friend healed and, as a result, the man walked away, not only healed, but saved as well!

Saved and healed

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 'Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?'

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, 'Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven," or to say, "Get up, take your mat and walk"? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….' He said to the paralytic, 'I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.' He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, 'We have never seen anything like this!' (Mark 2:6–12)

The Bible teaches that it is God's will that man is both saved and healed:

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases… (Psalm 103:2–3)

This biblical truth, first revealed to the prophet David in the Old Testament, was perfectly illustrated by Jesus in the healing of this man. Jesus asked the teachers of the law what it was easier to do: to heal a paralytic or to forgive sins. The answer, of course, is that both of these things are easy for God to do, but impossible for man to do.

Perhaps you haven't thought about this before, but how do you know that your sins are forgiven? Have you ever received proof from God? Not many of us have, we simply believe what the Bible says. And yet God does provide visible proof that he forgives sins—he proves it to us when he heals the sick.

When the paralytic was lowered to the feet of Jesus, Jesus told him that his sins were forgiven. And then to prove that what he had just said was true, he told the man to get up, take up his mat and go home. When God heals sickness and disease he is giving visible proof that he forgives sins.

The healing of our bodies is very desirable; it is a great blessing; but it will benefit us only for the rest of our earthly lives. Having our sins forgiven, however, will benefit us for eternity. So, in telling the paralytic that his sins were forgiven, Jesus was dealing with this man's greatest need first.

The Bible says:

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8–9)

We have seen in this study how willing Jesus was (and still is) to heal the sick. He is also equally willing to forgive the sins of all those who confess them to him, and that is the greatest blessing of all.

Michael Graham
December 2001

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