Is strong Christian faith needed before God will heal us? Some people say absolutely yes. Strong Christian faith will bring miraculous healing from God. On the other end of the spectrum, there are also some who say there aren’t any miracles anymore. Various reasons are given for the lack of miracles today. They range from (a) there are still miracles but we don’t know about them to (b) we’ve advanced past the point where we still believe in miracles. My focus today though is on those who say there’s a relationship between faith and healing.
The downside to a belief that lack of faith leads to no healing is this. If someone isn’t healed, then they can be made to feel that the only reason they weren’t healed is because their faith wasn’t strong enough. People end up dying of something that’s generally treatable in some of these cases, because the shame of getting medically treated forces them to make choices between their faith and going to a doctor and/or hospital.
And then the scenario gets perpetuated. If the person does recover without medical treatment, it’s “proof” that their faith increased. And if they die, it’s “proof” that their faith wasn’t strong enough.
Is strong Christian faith needed before God will heal us?
But – there’s a question that must be asked and answered. Is this stance Biblical? I don’t believe it is.
That is, unless we pull one verse from one passage, and ignore everything else. If you’ve read much from me, then you know what I think of doing that. Pulling out one verse is rarely, if ever, a good thing to do. Context matters! So do the culture and the language at the time. These things can totally change the way we view a passage as opposed to what we’d get out of it without considering context, language culture, Etc.
Strong Christian faith is needed before God will heal us
Strong Christian faith is needed before God will heal us! Where does that idea come from? Well, here’s a verse.
And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
But, as I pointed out, that’s a verse taken completely out of context.
Plus, we’re reading it in English – or, since about half of my readers aren’t in the U.S, some of you might be reading a translation, whatever other language you’ve got if you’re using a translator. The thing is, no matter the language, it’s not the original text. And while we do believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, the various translation are not the original text. Therefore, none of our translations are the inspired word of God. They’re the thoughtful, prayerful, educated, words of the translators.
And finally, there’s nothing of the culture at that time. Who was Jesus addressing when the author of this verse wrote “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith“?
However, if we ignore all those things, it is reasonable to reach a conclusion stating there is a relationship between the strength of our faith and the likelihood of God healing us. But, is it still reasonable after we realize that we’ve ignored all that important stuff?
I don’t believe it is. So, let’s proceed to examine the missing pieces of this puzzle.
Why did I write Is strong Christian faith needed before God will heal us?
I was writing the next installment in the Don’t waste your cancer series. The relationship between faith and healing was part of it. But I soon realized this is an important topic and deserves its own article. After this is done, I’ll get back to Life with cancer – from patience to trust and hope and point to this one. BTW – if you want to read the one on from patience to trust and hope you can come back here (I’ll put in the link after it’s published), go to the series page link above, or subscribe to the site using the link at the top right (desktops) or the bottom (cell phones).
It’s about going from surgery to remove my prostate that didn’t quite remove all the cancer, to surveillance to see if/when it returns, to now being on surveillance to know when there’s enough of the cancer to detect where it is and then look into treatment options. The need for hope is always there, but somehow, once the cancer is for sure still present, the need for trust is there more than ever. That is, trust in God. Trust, whether healing comes – or not.
Maybe you’re in a similar situation. Or know someone who is. And if not, most people likely will know someone at some point in their lives. I certainly knew others before it came to be the guy in the mirror who got the diagnosis. And no matter how sure we are about our response to it, we just don’t really know unless/until it happens. That’s why I think this is so important, and why I’m doing the series. Full disclosure, Don’t waste your cancer is the title of a little book written by John Piper. He wrote it just before his own prostate cancer surgery. Here’s the preface from his book.
John Piper’s Don’t waste your cancer
I originally wrote this on the eve of prostate-cancer surgery. I believed then, and I believe now, in God’s power to heal—by miracle and by medicine. I believe it is right and good to pray for both kinds of healing. Cancer is not wasted when it is healed by God. He gets the glory, and that is why cancer exists. So not to pray for healing may waste our cancer.
But healing is not God’s plan for everyone in this life. And there are many other ways to waste our cancer. As I prayed for myself, and continue to do so, I also pray for you that we will not waste this pain.
At this time (five years after my surgery) the evidence is that they “got it.” But I have learned that one day we think we are well, and the next day we find out we are not. So now when people ask me, “How’s your health?” I say, “I feel fine. And the doctors are pleased.” Which, being translated, means: “I don’t know how I am; only God knows.”
That God knows, and cares, and rules, is enough. The passage of Scripture that came to my mind while I waited for the biopsy was 1 Thessalonians 5:9–10: “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” That is enough. I am not destined for wrath, but to live with Christ.
Until we see him, may God help us not waste our health or our cancer. 1Piper, J. (2011). Don’t Waste Your Cancer (p. 3). Crossway.
So he had his surgery. It was successful and five years after was still cancer-free at the time of writing this. I had mine and now know for sure it wasn’t successful. Time will tell what happens. I pray that, with strength from God, I will be able to bring glory to Him as I go through this, with Him.
And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith
So – let’s get going here. What does And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith really say? Especially, what does “did not do” mean? Specifically, does it mean Jesus couldn’t do many miracles there (wherever there was) or that He chose not to do many miracles?
Let’s explore this with yet another verse pulled out of another passage from another Gospel. Sorry, but no additional information yet. Remember, we’re trying to avoid context and culture at this point. This time, because of the grammar in the translations, we’ll look at two verses.
He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.
Interesting. The first one said Jesus did not do many miracles. This one says could not do many miracles. But it still has the reference to a lack of faith.
So which is it? Did not? Or could not? If we go back to the Greek words in the original texts, both translations are correct in their respective Gospels. the first one we looked at has only a Greek word indicating a negative. that’s why the translation is did not. However, the second has an additional word, correctly leading to a translation of could not.
Therefore, we’re left with having to explain why, or how, Jesus could not perform many miracles! Surely, if Jesus wanted to perform a miracle, no human could actually prevent Him from doing so. Right?
Can a lack of faith actually prevent Jesus from performing a miracle?
Can a lack of faith actually prevent Jesus from performing a miracle? As I said, I can’t believe that. But let’s see what’s been written by some of the people who make this kind of thing their life’s work. The segments below identify Matthew and Mark, respectively, as the authors of the two Gospels we looked at. The notes were both written for Matthew’s, the first verse, and also refer to Mark, the second one we read.
First, one that seems to say we can prevent God from performing a miracle.
58. Did not many … works—It would be a waste of divine power to perform miracles that would be disregarded and condemned by anticipation. Besides, it is probable that they abstained from affording him any opportunity for performing miracles of power and mercy, such as alone lay within the bounds of our Lord’s mission. So that both morally and physically they rendered the performance of mighty works a thing out of the question.
The evangelist Mark says strongly, “he could there do no mighty work;” because of course he could not do a useless and unsuitable deed. So man’s faithlessness may bind the Lord’s arm from performing miracles of mercy. A faithless Church restrains the convicting and converting Spirit. Unbelief defeats omnipotence. The same evangelist, Mark, vividly represents the woman with the issue of blood drawing the miraculous virtue forth from Jesus by the touch of her finger, put forth in faith. So that as faith divinely compels the virtue forth, so unbelief compels the virtue back into the Lord’s person. 2Whedon, D. D. (1874). Matthew–Mark: Vol. I (p. 178). Hodder and Stoughton.
Notice, this author starts with It would be a waste of divine power to perform miracles that would be disregarded and condemned by anticipation. OK – that makes sense.
But later, we read this. The evangelist Mark says strongly, “he could there do no mighty work;” because of course he could not do a useless and unsuitable deed. So man’s faithlessness may bind the Lord’s arm from performing miracles of mercy.
OK – I think I know what he meant by faithlessness by people can keep God from performing a miracle. But, do we understand, from those words, that one, or both, of two things is likely going on here?
- God has chosen to not waste a miracle.
- God’s innate goodness means He will not perform a miracle under certain circumstances.
Let’s look at a second author, then resume the analysis.
Second, one that says sometimes God can’t perform miracles, but for a slightly different reason.
58. And he did not many mighty works there,—Mark says he did a few. It would have been improper to work miracles before them, if they were determined not to believe; hence Mark says, he could not do so; that is, consistently: he had, of course, the power to cure all the sick persons in Nazareth, whether they believed on him or not; but this, in a moral point of view, would not have been a benefit, but perhaps an injury, to the parties thus healed and to all who beheld the miracles, if they were obstinately determined not to believe on him. They might have considered him a wonder-worker, in league with the devil. Matt. 12:24; Luke 23:8–12.
Their persistence in unbelief, so long after his first visit to them, and his continued teaching and miracles, might well make him wonder, as Mark says it did. It does not appear how the events recorded in Matt. 13 and Mark 4, 5, which seem to have immediately preceded this rejection at Nazareth, could have preceded that recorded in Luke 4:16–30; nor does it seem easy to put Matt. 13:54–58 between Matt. 4:12, 13. Besides, the miracles recorded, Mark 6:5, could hardly have been performed under the circumstances detailed in Luke 4; not to say, there is no violence hinted in Matthew and Mark, as there is in Luke. 3Summers, T. O. (1869). Commentary on the Gospels, St. Matthew: Commentary: Vol. I (pp. 167–168). Southern Methodist Publishing House.
Note the way this one puts it. It would have been improper to work miracles before them, if they were determined not to believe; hence Mark says, he could not do so; that is, consistently: he had, of course, the power to cure all the sick persons in Nazareth, whether they believed on him or not; but this, in a moral point of view, would not have been a benefit, but perhaps an injury, to the parties thus healed and to all who beheld the miracles, if they were obstinately determined not to believe on him. They might have considered him a wonder-worker, in league with the devil.
I believe it’s important to acknowledge that God certainly was capable of performing a miracle in this location (again we still don’t know where this is). However, as we pointed out above, there was a reason only a few miracles were actually performed by Jesus. God’s innate goodness means He will not perform a miracle under certain circumstances.
Where are we – Can a lack of faith actually prevent Jesus from performing a miracle?
So after all that, where are we? Can a lack of faith on our part actually prevent God from performing a miracle? In our case, a miraculous healing?
At the risk of getting too picky, I think it comes down to the difference between can and will. In other words, the choices appear to be:
- Can a lack of faith on our part actually prevent God from performing a miracle?
- Will a lack of faith on our part actually prevent God from performing a miracle?
It’s subtle. But it’s also important. And, it is a matter of faith. Of “owning our faith”. Knowing what we believe and why.
If we believe a lack of faith on our part can actually prevent God from performing a miracle, then we’re saying we have some degree of control over God. As I said, I have a hard time with that.
On the other hand, if we believe a lack of faith on our part will actually prevent God from performing a miracle … Wait! That’s not what either Gospel actually says. We need to reword that a bit.
Hopefully you noticed, the first one – can actually prevent God from performing a miracle – is not absolute. Can means maybe it will and maybe it won’t. But will is absolute. In this verse, it means no miracle will be performed. But it said not many were performed. Some miracles were performed.
Therefore, we need to adjust this one to say – a lack of faith on our part might actually prevent God from performing a miracle. Then, there’s one more thing to acknowledge. In this case, the miracle might not be performed because of God’s own rules He set for Himself, He may not perform a miracle. In other words, God is perfectly capable of performing a miraculous healing, but for His own reasons, He may choose to not do so.
To me, that second one is correct. It seems the height of arrogance that we can force God into a situation where He cannot do something He otherwise could have done!
Furthermore, I believe this will be borne out as we move along.
The context and culture of Is strong Christian faith needed before God will heal us?
OK, we’ve taken a look at two verses, totally void of context and the culture of the time. So let’s do it. I’m going to stick with the initial verse, the one from Matthew. As we go through it, we’ll look at the context and the culture at the same time. In this case, I believe it’s a valid approach, since the religious beliefs of the Jewish people are the primary focus, and they involve both culture and of course, context.
Here’s the full passage from Matthew. I underlined the one verse we looked at, to make it a bit easier to locate.
A Prophet Without Honor – Matthew
13:54-58 pp — Mk 6:1-6
Mt 13:53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”
Mt 13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
When Jesus had finished these parables ….
Did you notice how the passage began? It’s – When Jesus had finished these parables …
This begs the questions, at least it should, “What happened before and were the parables significant?“
The sequence begins with the description below from Matthew.
Mt 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables …
So, this is the beginning of what happens
There’s some symbolism in verse 1, so let’s take care of that first.
I. The Setting of the Parables
A. “Out of the house” (v. 1).
“The house” here refers to the literal house in which Jesus had been teaching, but it can symbolize the house of Israel (10:6). By leaving the house, He was saying (symbolically) that He had left the nation and would now turn to the Gentiles.
B. “By the seaside” (v. 1).
The sea in Scripture stands for the Gentile nations of the world (Rev. 17:15; Isa. 60:5). Christ now goes to the Gentiles and begins a new phase of His ministry (see 10:5–6; 12:17–21, 39–42). 4Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p. 51). Victor Books.
This is important for setting context. We now know that what follows, the parables Jesus told and the events forthcoming, are directed at Gentiles. That’s those of us who aren’t Jewish.
The parables Jesus told at that time
This isn’t the place to go through the parables in detail. However, for those familiar with them or who want to look them up, here’s the sequence.
- The parable of the sower
- The parable of the weeds
- The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast
- The parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl
- The parable of the net
And then we get to the passage titled A Prophet Without Honor. That’s a lot of teaching. Five parables with some explanation along the way.
Moving along to Jesus’ hometown
So it’s with that backdrop that we read A Prophet Without Honor. Jesus had what seemed to be a good day of teaching Gentiles. Non-Jews. After all, there were large crowds, and it seems they stayed with Him. On other occurrences we read that people abandoned Jesus when His teaching was too much for them. But that doesn’t seem to be the case here.
A Prophet Without Honor
Now, let’s take a look at what happened in Jesus’ hometown. We’ll compare it to His experience with the Gentiles.
Mt 13:53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed.
It sounds like a good beginning, doesn’t it? Jesus is back home. Teaching in the synagogue. And the people are amazed. If we pull out just these two verses and ignore the rest, we see a resounding success.
However, if you paid attention above, you know that’s not the case. Not at all.
“Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.
Ouch! This is like a polar opposite of Jesus’ experience teaching the parables to the Gentiles. But with His hometown, people He knew, abject failure. But it wasn’t failure on Jesus’ part. It was failure on the part of those listening in the synagogue.
The last verse is especially telling. Although, as often happens, the English translation does a poor job of letting us know how the people really felt. First, let’s look at the word. Then, we’ll read about how that word should be applied to this situation.
4624 σκανδαλίζω [skandalizo /skan·dal·id·zo/] v. From 4625; TDNT 7:339; TDNTA 1036; GK 4997; 30 occurrences; AV translates as “offend” 28 times, and “make to offend” twice. 1 to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, metaph. to offend. 1A to entice to sin. 1B to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey. 1B1 to cause to fall away. 1B2 to be offended in one, i.e. to see in another what I disapprove of and what hinders me from acknowledging his authority. 1B3 to cause one to judge unfavourably or unjustly of another. 1C since one who stumbles or whose foot gets entangled feels annoyed. 1C1 to cause one displeasure at a thing. 1C2 to make indignant. 1C3 to be displeased, indignant. 5Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
Some of you will remember how Paul wrote about not being a stumbling block or impediment to others in their faith. And here we see Jews who literally knew Jesus as He grew up, and they call Him the impediment.
To that end, one commentator wrote:
In one sense, of course, the questions of the people are understandable, if not justifiable. Here was a young artisan from a rough town, with no special breeding or education. Whence, then, his wisdom and miracles? (Incidentally, their questions render impossible the fanciful miracles ascribed to Jesus’ childhood by the apocryphal gospels.) But by their questions the people merely condemn themselves: they cannot doubt the fact of his wisdom and miracles (v. 56) yet reject his claims (v. 57). “They took offense at him” (eskandalizonto en autō), i.e., found in him obstacles to faith (see on 5:29; 11:6), even though the biggest obstacles were in their own hearts. It is sad that every time in the NT somebody is “scandalized” by someone, that someone is Jesus (cf. Bonnard, citing G. Stahlen, TDNT, 7:349; cf. Matt 11:6; 26:31, 33; Mark 6:3; Luke 7:23). 6Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 336). Zondervan Publishing House.
We can see now, this wasn’t “offense” the way we think of it today. This is accusing Jesus, the Son of God, of trying to draw people away from God!
A prophet in His hometown has no honor
And this is how Jesus came to say the words in the next verse.
But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”
The sad irony in what happened
The Old Testament foretold that things like this would happen. And if anyone should have known this, it was the Jewish people who rejected Jesus. One such prophesy is found in Isaiah 8. The entire passage fits, so feel free to use the links to read it. But notice especially the word stumble, underlined, in verses 14 and 15 below.
Fear God
Isa 8:14 and he will be a sanctuary;
but for both houses of Israel he will be
a stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
a trap and a snare.
Isa 8:15 Many of them will stumble;
they will fall and be broken,
they will be snared and captured.”
This is about Jesus. Jesus, who should have been a sanctuary, but became a stumbling block to the Jewish people in His time.
Is strong Christian faith needed before God will heal us?
And now, in our time, I feel like Jesus has again become a stumbling block. For instance, to those who think strong Christian faith is needed before God will heal us. Why? I believe part of the reason is that we don’t really understand why Jesus performed miracles.
So, why did Jesus perform miracles?
There’s an article on christianity.com, titled simply, Why did Jesus perform miracles? Part of it says:
To get at the reason why Jesus performed His miracles, we need to unearth the expectations of those who lived at that time. From our perspective, we know who Jesus claimed to be—the Messiah and God in sandals. But the people of ancient Israel had no New Testament to study. They had the Old Testament, the teachings of the respected rabbis, and hope.
Jesus strode into the midst of their hope—hope to be free of oppression from distant Rome—with a bold claim. The prophecies were fulfilled in Him. The Messiah had come to draw people to the Kingdom of God. While He had no sword that they could see, they could see Him healing their friends and relatives. They could see the power of God moving through the hills. They’d read about the great miracles of Moses and Joshua, Daniel and Elijah, but seeing them was another matter.
The miracles themselves were not ways for Jesus to show off His power, especially since He had given up His former glory to come to earth and do the will of the Father in heaven. Instead, the miracles vindicated His claims about Himself and His teaching. Although He didn’t need to perform any miracles and refused to perform them on demand, they came so that others might believe (John 10:37-38).
Jesus didn’t heal people just to heal them. And it wasn’t to show off. It wasn’t even a test of faith! Remember, he healed ten men of leprosy, but only one was saved. Nine were healed and seemingly had no faith at all! At least not the saving kind of faith we should have as Christians.
The article continues:
With all the healings and weather control, however, it’s easy to forget the greatest miracle Jesus performed. Being dead and in the grave, Jesus took His life back and delivered a confirmation of His Kingship that no one could ignore.
So, where does the belief come from that ties strong faith to healing?
Didn’t Jesus say others would do great miracles?
Yes, Jesus absolutely did say others would do great miracles after He was gone. But then, that wasn’t necessarily tied to faith either. You may remember the portion of the passage below.
Signs of the End of the Age – Matthew
24:1-51 pp — Mk 13:1-37; Lk 21:5-36
Mt 24:1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
Mt 24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Mt 24:4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
…
Mt 24:15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. … 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
Mt 24:26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
…
So yes, some Christians will perform miracles. But so will some who are far from Christian. Faith and miracles are not tied together. Therefore, faith and healing aren’t tied together either.
And remember, even the disciples couldn’t heal everyone. Check out the underlined portion.
The Healing of a Boy With an Evil Spirit – Mark
9:14-28; 30-32 pp — Mt 17:14-19; 22, 23; Lk 9:37-45
Mk 9:14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all they saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
Mk 9:16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
Mk 9:17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
Mk 9:19 “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
Mk 9:20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Mk 9:21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
Mk 9:23 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
Mk 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Mk 9:25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
Mk 9:26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
Mk 9:28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
Mk 9:29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.’”
Mk 9:30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
We see that Jesus healed the boy, but the disciples could not. It wasn’t about the faith of the boy, obviously. Not of the father. And yet, somehow, today we claim it’s the fault of the people who are sick that prevents healing! Why? There’s more than enough scripture to show that claim is false!
Conclusion – Is strong Christian faith needed before God will heal us?
Why are some healed while others aren’t? It’s not because of the sick person. Nor is it because of the person praying for healing. It’s about bringing glory to God.
And on that topic, I have to believe that blaming the sick person brings no glory to God whatsoever. Nor does the so-called healer claiming credit when someone is healed. Whether or not healing takes place is up to God’s will.
Further, as Christians, we can bring glory to God either way. Healed or not healed. Remember, If we are healed, the credit and the glory goes to God. And as for us, if we truly give Gid the credit and the glory, it should be a life-changing experience for us. One that brings us closer to Him. Makes us more active in His Kingdom.
But, even if we are not healed, the recognition that a lack of healing doesn’t mean we lack faith or that God lacks power, there’s still an opportunity for a life-changing experience. It’s a time for us to be closer to God than ever.
For my first experience with that kind of event, I invite you to check out God – is it time for me to go home?
And of course, my second is what’s happening now with cancer. You can check out the ongoing series at Don’t waste your cancer.
If you, a loved one, friend, or even a stranger, is going through severe illness, have faith. Faith based on what Jesus actually said. And the knowledge that He will be with us through it all. And just as importantly, that we’ll be with Him, always.
Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay
Footnotes
- 1Piper, J. (2011). Don’t Waste Your Cancer (p. 3). Crossway.
- 2Whedon, D. D. (1874). Matthew–Mark: Vol. I (p. 178). Hodder and Stoughton.
- 3Summers, T. O. (1869). Commentary on the Gospels, St. Matthew: Commentary: Vol. I (pp. 167–168). Southern Methodist Publishing House.
- 4Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p. 51). Victor Books.
- 5Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
- 6Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 336). Zondervan Publishing House.