Healing: Complex Question with a Baffling Answer

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching..., proclaiming..., and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23) Note, Jesus healed EVERY-one.

In the New Testament it is also very clear that Jesus healed. When Jesus healed, people were completely healed. "A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy" (Matthew 8:2-3; and Matthew 9:1-8)

Jesus brought back the dead; "As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother" (Luke 7:12-15). The man had to do something too. Get up.

Jesus healed all who came to Him; "News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.": "When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick" (Matthew 4:24, 8:16).

It is also worth noting that while Jesus said in many cases it was faith in Him that lead to healing, it was not necessary to have faith to be healed. In John chapter 5, we read of the healing of a crippled man who not only didn't have faith in Jesus, he didn't even know who Jesus was.

Does God want everyone healed? Paul had his thorn in the flesh. 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." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me (2 Corinthians 12:7). So, it is obvious that “no” is often God’s answer. More examples include the following:

Timothy apparently had recurring stomach troubles and the suggested cure wasn't prayer but a little wine, (1 Timothy 5:23).

Trophimus was so sick Paul left him behind, (2 Timothy 4:20) and in Philippians, we hear that Epaphrodites almost died. He was not healed by Paul but by God later. These examples show that healing wasn't lacking because faith was. These were the faith leaders of the church and if God chose not to heal, then what can be said?

We also read of a city visited by Jesus where not much of anything went on. Why? A defined lack of faith in this example. "Jesus did not do many deeds of power there because of their unbelief." (Matthew 13:58) Sure seems like God doesn’t want to be figured out.

So...God didn't heal their sicknesses because of their lack of faith in Him.

So...should we even bother to ask God to heal?

"Whatever we ask according to His will...He will hear us" (1 John 5:14). The key here is though according to HIS will, not ours. God does heal when He knows it is appropriate.

Hence, there are times He is simply waiting for us to ask on behalf of someone. One can safely assume that He would allow sickness or death because we failed to take Him at His word.

James teaches that we are to pray and get medical care. "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord" (James 5:14).

So, how should we approach healing when we are sick, diseased, or dis-enabled?

Get up, ask for healing, have Faith that God does heal and oft chooses to do so, and believe that He is Lord regardless of His decision. Meaning, He still loves you and will support you even when His answer must be “no.” Will you still trust Him? Or, is your trust entirely dependant on the outcome?