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I want to revisit the healing of the blind man in Bethsaida (Bethesda) during Jesus ministry. This healing is described in Mark 8,
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
If the blind man had been a modern-day charismatic, his response to the question, “do you see anything?” would have been, “I’m healed, Hallelujah!”, and he would have left only partially healed. The reason is that some believers think that any discussion of your actual condition – if it’s not restored – is a lack of faith.
Clearly, this is not sustained by this and other scriptures. I have interviewed many in healing ministry, who you have to painfully extract the actual condition from. “What is the issue?” you ask. “I’m fine and blessed,” they say. Well, you are blessed, but if you were fine, you’d be at home with your feet up instead of here, seeking healing.
As a prayer minister, I was careful to ask individuals how they felt during ministry – exactly how they felt- not using “modern-day faith-speak”. Paul writes in Romans 4:17:
As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
Notice that he did not say “calls things that are as though they were not”. This scripture relates to Abraham, who in verse 19, faced the facts, but still believed God’s intention to fulfill His promise,
19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
If you feel pain, you feel pain, and you can tell Jesus, the minister, or the doctor about it. If you tell me that the pain is gone and it’s not, I’ll smile and say goodbye even though the ministry and God’s work in you may not be completed. Do you see this?
However, you can and must also speak the reality of God’s Word into and over your situation. You can add: “I believe that this pain is dealt with and overcome by the Word of God and by Jesus’ wounds”. The pain is not yet gone, but you can speak a pain-free reality into your life by the Word and expect to see it happen.
I have a wonderful friend who is a mighty woman of God but believes that the word pharmacy’s
root word means scorcy and devil, which it did, and refused to touch any medicines. Right now she is suffering with a terrible cold and cough. She tells me if she gets seriously ill, she would rather die than take any medicines. I am in total shock she believes this way. Can you please give me some scripture or wisdom to take to her to show her that it is alright to take medicines and that God gave us doctors to make us well? She is a very smart professional woman and has herself healed many people and she is for only “healing” all the way, but now she herself is sick and can’t seem to get well and needs some cough syrup and something for this terrible cold! I can’t bear thinking of losing a wonderful friend just because she would chose not to take some simple medicines! Please help me.
Thank you.
I would tell her that God let a physician, Luke, write one of the gospels AND the Book of Acts. So God does not despise doctors. In 2 Kings 20:7, a poultice of figs was also prepared for King Hezekiah.
Also, hear Paul: Colossians 4:14 Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. Not “circumventer of the will of God”, but “dear friend”.
If divine healing is not forthcoming, by all means, avail yourself of doctors. Medicine is an honorable profession, with people who train to help others.
She should also know that you need medical science in many cases, to even know what’s wrong with you (e.g., X-rays, ultrasounds and the like). Other than a word of knowledge, many would have no clue about the real problem and no way to even pray specifically.
Finally, the words of Jesus: Matthew 9:12 “On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” He wasn’t cursing out the medical profession, he was saying they do some good.
God is the ultimate and perfect physician, but if your healing is not coming in like it should for one reason or another, there is certainly no shame in using doctors.
If she has a specific Word from God, then God will prove Himself, you need not worry. However, if she is suffering unnecessarily, that is unfortunate. I won’t willfully seek out pain as long as there are painkillers that come from substances that God put on earth.
Also, may I ask you about different ways that God heals us outside of the spiritual ways. My friends says that only Jesus should heal us. Medicines sometimes kill us. Therefore don’t take them at all. But there are many pathways to healings. Medicinal, herbal, chiropractic, juicing, acupuncture, and many others… Please name some other mainline ways we can be healed beside spiritual. This will really help her.
Thank you.
Yes, I take vitamins and herbs. Ginger for example is great for indigestion. Chiropractors and physical therapy (plus general, regular exercise) are also great as well as juicing – these can be very beneficial. Acupuncture I’m leery of for reasons I can’t go into now as well as ‘spiritual healers’ who are New-Agey. The latter stuff you would do well to avoid.