His total work in our lives
Since Jesus has healing authority, we should pray in his name whenever we are sick [whenever we’re without hope, hurt, etc.]. But we need to recognize that God often chooses not to heal. Some day, “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Rev. 21:4 NIV). But we are still living in a fallen world, where disability and disease are part of God’s curse against sin. Eventually all our prayers for healing will be answered, but this will not happen until Jesus comes again.
Furthermore, God often uses our physical difficulties to do his gracious work in our lives. The life of the Christian follows the pattern of the life of Christ, in which suffering is the road to glory. Among other things, this means that we can never make our health [marriage and our marriage issues, financial snares, general hardships] the test of God’s love. Often Jesus has a work of healing to do in us that goes much deeper than our bodies.
In his commentary on these verses, Michael Wilcock imagines what Jesus might say to us when he chooses not to answer our prayers for healing. Perhaps he would say something like this, “I could of course give you immediate relief; but I would rather take the opportunity, [lead you in My Lordship], to do something more far-reaching, which will be to your greater benefit in the long run. You will find it more protracted and perhaps more painful, and you may not understand what I am doing, because I may be treating disorders of which you yourself are unaware.” And what would Jesus do then? Wilcock says he would, “set to work to deal with the needs of the whole person, rather than with the obvious need only. He may aim at a calming of spirit, or a strengthening of courage, or a clarifying of vision, as more important objectives than what we call healing. Indeed the latter may not be experienced at all in this life, but only at the final ‘saving and raising’ of the sick, when their mortal nature puts on immortality.”
In his healing work as our Great Physician, Jesus is concerned for the whole person—body and soul. Often he uses the hurts of the body to bring healing to the soul—and hurts in the soul that would work to bring forth new outward habits for the body—much the way a doctor uses deadly chemotherapy to kill a cancer.
Sometimes we wish that God would just hurry up and heal us. If he doesn’t, it is not because he doesn’t love us, but because he is working a better plan. In the meantime, we need to trust him to do his total work in our lives [—in his body, the church].
Furthermore, God often uses our physical difficulties to do his gracious work in our lives. The life of the Christian follows the pattern of the life of Christ, in which suffering is the road to glory. Among other things, this means that we can never make our health [marriage and our marriage issues, financial snares, general hardships] the test of God’s love. Often Jesus has a work of healing to do in us that goes much deeper than our bodies.
In his commentary on these verses, Michael Wilcock imagines what Jesus might say to us when he chooses not to answer our prayers for healing. Perhaps he would say something like this, “I could of course give you immediate relief; but I would rather take the opportunity, [lead you in My Lordship], to do something more far-reaching, which will be to your greater benefit in the long run. You will find it more protracted and perhaps more painful, and you may not understand what I am doing, because I may be treating disorders of which you yourself are unaware.” And what would Jesus do then? Wilcock says he would, “set to work to deal with the needs of the whole person, rather than with the obvious need only. He may aim at a calming of spirit, or a strengthening of courage, or a clarifying of vision, as more important objectives than what we call healing. Indeed the latter may not be experienced at all in this life, but only at the final ‘saving and raising’ of the sick, when their mortal nature puts on immortality.”
In his healing work as our Great Physician, Jesus is concerned for the whole person—body and soul. Often he uses the hurts of the body to bring healing to the soul—and hurts in the soul that would work to bring forth new outward habits for the body—much the way a doctor uses deadly chemotherapy to kill a cancer.
Sometimes we wish that God would just hurry up and heal us. If he doesn’t, it is not because he doesn’t love us, but because he is working a better plan. In the meantime, we need to trust him to do his total work in our lives [—in his body, the church].
From Phil Ryken’s commentary on Luke with slight comments and adaptations (the book is from Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co. pp. 195-196, pub in 2009), selections about Jesus’ healing miracles. Things I am thinking about from Luke chapters 4, 7-8, 9, etc.
G. Mark Sumpter
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