How healing works is a MYSTERY. But how healing doesn't work is not a mystery.
It is kind of contradicting to say that God's will is clear about healing but when it doesn't happen, we say it's a mystery.
The disciples were given power and authority to cast out ALL demons and to heal ALL sicknesses and diseases. (Luke 9:1; Matt 10:1)
But for one incident, they failed to cast out the demon. (Matt 17)
Jesus didn't say, "Oh boy, it's a mystery."
He didn't say, "You know what? God is still good and He is absolute love."
He didn't say, "This demon is very powerful."
He didn't say, "Well done. You have done your part."
He didn't say, "Well, the boy's father didn't really believe."
He didn't say, "Sometimes, it doesn't happen. Anyway, if he dies, it will be ultimate healing."
He actually rebuked the disciples, "O faithless and perverse generation..." (Matt 17:17) The word "perverse" is to "distort the purpose and plans of God." God's will is to heal. By failing to heal the demon-possessed boy, it was a distortion of God's purpose. Jesus expected His disciples to cast out the demon because they were given authority and power over ALL demons.
The disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” (Matt 17:19)
Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matt 17:20)
Jesus didn't say, "Because of your lack of faith." He said, "Because of your unbelief." The disciples had faith to cast out demons. They had good success (Luke 10:17). But they couldn't cast out the demon this time, not because they didn't have faith, but because they had unbelief - failing to see what Christ sees.
The level of faith is not an issue when it comes to healing and deliverance. Jesus confirmed that by saying, "...if you have faith as a mustard seed..." Mustard seed is extremely small. In other words, even if you have a very small degree of faith, nothing will be impossible for you. Mark 11:23 also confirms this. It says, "whoever says to this mountain... and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." It's simply about believing without doubting (Mark 5:36 - "Fear not, only believe and she will be well.").
James 1:6-8 says "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
The problem does not lie with the level/degree of faith. The problem lies with having unbelief mixed with believing. It doesn't take great faith for healing and deliverance. It takes PURE faith (no unbelief).
Jesus gave the tool to remove unbelief. "This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." This is not referring to the demon. If it is so, we will not know which demon requires fasting and prayer before we can cast it out. Jesus didn't fast and pray to cast out this demon either. Jesus never fasted and prayed for a miracle. Jesus fasted and prayed into a lifestyle. He stayed in the place of intimacy with the Father so that He could always see what the Father sees.
Here, Jesus was talking to His disciples about removing unbelief by fasting and prayer --- communion with the Father. Because when we get to the place of intimacy with the Father, we learn to see what He sees. When we see what He sees, unbelief has to go. Nothing will be impossible for us.
Before Jesus cast out the demon, He was actually at Mount Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1). He was in communion with the Father. He was continually seeing what the Father sees. He came down from the mountain (Matthew 17:9) bringing the Father's perspective to the demon-possessed boy.
This is the only passage where Jesus taught His disciples when they failed to cast out a demon / heal someone.
We need to grow in seeing what Christ sees and removing unbelief so that nothing is impossible for us. The way to grow is to know and see His love for us on the Cross, because faith always works through love.
How healing works is a mystery. But how healing doesn't work is not. We don't have to make it so complicated by coming out with all kinds of theories that the Bible didn't say.
P.S: This is not for us to beat ourselves down. Because neither do we beat ourselves down for not walking in 100% unconditional love yet. We are not there yet. But we can keep growing.
No comments:
Post a Comment