27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they replied.29Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”;
Oh, what words. These words have caused many tears and consternation for many and when I come across them, sometimes I have to pause and look.
Always look at the context
- These men were in the presence of Jesus – They were right there. He was there.
- The Will of Jesus – The way Jesus asked the question showed that Jesus was willing to heal them. Jesus would never have asked this question and then said, “Psych” and rubbed his hands through his hair and walked off. Jesus doesn’t do that.
Sometimes Jesus doesn’t heal because “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27) – Death will not be eliminated until the return of Christ. Sometimes he doesn’t heal because it is time for that person to die.
Living forever in this current, corruptible body isn’t an option. The thing is it is NEVER Ok with us for someone in our lives to die. We love them and we want to hold onto them forever. Granny died last summer and it is NOT OK with me.
Poppa D (my husbands father) died a year and a half a go and my son and I cried about it two days a go. It is NOT OK. Death is never OK. We hate it and we don’t like it.
It comes down to God’s will. I do not profess to understand it. I do profess that He can heal whomever He wishes however He wishes. It is His choice.
- It was private – I’m not saying that the loud healing services don’t happen. I just find it very interesting how Jesus never healed out of showmanship… he was very wary of making a spectacle and didn’t like an audience for his healing. Healing was a personal, private thing that was through faith in Christ.
- It was semipermanent – I don’t see either of these men running around today… they died eventually. Healing can happen but often because it is not permanent we negate that it happened at all. God may heal for a season because He has a further purpose for a person and then he calls them home.
This is such a personal issue because it comes squarely in the face of two things that both we and God detest: death and pain. Death and pain are a result of sin in this world and our sinful natures. We hate them and yet we know that God will help us through that.
” 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his saints.”
Psalm 116:15“the day of death better than the day of birth.”
Ecclesiastes 7:1
I don’t understand it and yet I believe it. My view of death changed fundamentally when I went through labor and delivery of my first child and each child after that (I have three) I came to a closer realization that Jesus Christ will NEVER leave me nor forsake me.
When one has a child, you truly feel as close to death as you could be. And yet, God was with me — I felt his presence. He did not leave me. I was never alone.
And the day I die, it will be the same. He will be there beside me, holding my hand and I will not be afraid.
That is easy for me to say now, as I sit here in my office chair getting ready to go on vacation and waiting to have a conference call. And yet, the truth of it is burned onto my very soul.
My God is faithful to accomplish what concerns me today. He just is.
Thank you, Vicki!
I’ve very much appreciated your recent regular posts here. Faith is a wonderful and priceless gift. There are so many things that simply defy human comprehension. For example, why does God sometimes choose to heal, and sometimes not?
It is faith that enables us to trust Him, regardless of what He chooses, and regardless of our circumstances. He is the perfect Father, who ALWAYS knows what is best. No matter what happens, He’s always there for us.
So, thank you for sharing the insights that come from your faith. When you share your knowledge and experience as an educator, I’m challenged, encouraged, and sometimes stretched a bit in my own work as an educator.
Your insights here do the same thing, but here I’m challenged to think about who I am as a follower of Jesus–about my identity. That’s more important because it’s about who I am, not just what I do.
–Paul
My mom died with cancer about ten years ago. Her death was such a comfort. She had been unresponsive for a day, laying in the hospital bed with shallow breath. I was on one side of her bed and my sister on the other, both of us holding her hands while Sandi Patti played in the background. Then my mom opened her eyes, looked past my sister, said, “Jesus is good.” and died. It was the most beautiful experience, comforting and affirming. I will never forget it. I love your blog.
@Paul – Thank you for your ongoing encouragement. I appreciate to know that people are reading over here and want to spend more time commenting.
@laurie – It is good to have a comforting experience and to have such a gift as that with your Mom. I hope that with my dying breath I can confirm the greatness of God.
Thank you for sharing this very private moment here with me – I needed to hear it today.
When does he heal??
Great and powerful question and it is just that! A question. Probably one that we will all ask to varying degrees of pain and wondering.
I watched my husband die of a heart attack in my kitchen. God has healed my heart, and yet not.
“Grief never goes away” – this is a trite statement. But so, so true.
Through my experience I have contemplated this fact of death: It was never in God’s plan when he created us. We were created to live with Him forever. So death is foreign to our very nature. That is why it haunts us and pains us in some way… always.
I do believe… feebly sometimes… that God gives us enough faith and grace for each day.
Thanks for your insights on this topic.
Angie
@AR – Wow Angie. It haunts me that my grandfather passed away exactly the same way before he turned 60 in my grandmother’s kitchen.
REcently, my Aunt Vicki had a stroke and although she is so much better than we thought, she still has damage to the left side of her body. These things hurt so terribly it is hard to even stand it! We ask how and why and yet the real question is Who.
Who is the one who heals us? Jesus Christ, our great physician.
Who is the one who understands our pain? Jesus Christ, the man of sorrows
Who is the one who gives us guidance for our life? Jesus Christ, the wonderful counselor
We don’t know the whys but we do know the WHO and that makes all the difference in this life of pain and heartache — he restores the years the locusts have eaten and heals the broken hearted. He is a father to the fatherless and a provider for the widow.
I cannot understand your pain. I am humbled that you would come by here and take the time to leave your beautiful, heartfelt words behind. Thank you for the gift and reminder. I have just taken a moment to pray for you in your grief. I am so sorry.