Tag: healing

Faith and Power – Jesus Heals and Restores

suzieinglis
Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels.com

I was speaking to a woman who has a couple of different, significant health issues. In the course of our conversation, she said, “I just need to touch Jesus’ cloak.” Her statement really impacted me. I could hear her longing for healing and her faith. It inspired me to study Luke 8:40 – 56.

Jesus has just returned from the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee, where he restored a demon possessed man.

A crowd is waiting there (likely in Capernaum) for Him and welcomes Him. A synagogue leader named Jairus, falls at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house. Why? Because his only daughter, a girl of about 12 is dying.

As I read this, I noticed something Interesting – Jesus doesn’t reply verbally, but we know He goes with Jairus because v. 42 says, “As Jesus was on his way…”

As we picture the scene before us, we know it’s completely crowded because the passage says the “crowds almost crushed him.”

While Jesus is on his way to heal a sick girl, something happens to cause him to stop and ask a seemingly unusual question. I call this:  The Interruption.

A woman was there. We don’t know her name, but we do know:

  • She was subject to bleeding for years (12).
  • She had spent all she had on doctors.
  • No one could heal her.

Presumably, she’s desperate and in FAITH, she comes up behind Jesus (v. 44) and touches the edge of his cloak. IMMEDIATELY her bleeding stops

Here, in v. 45, is where Jesus asks a seemingly unusual question. “Who touched me?” All the disciples deny it and Peter chimes in, “Master the people are crowding around you and pressing against you.” I’m guessing Peter wondered why it even mattered until Jesus replied, which we read in v. 46. “But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; I know that POWER has gone out from me.’”

Power had gone out from Him? We’ll come back to that.

We read in v. 47, “The woman, seeing she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of ALL THE PEOPLE, she told why she had touched him and how she had been INSTANTLY healed.”

That must have been so difficult for her, maybe even embarrassing to share that in front of such a crowd, but what a testimony. How powerful is it that she was instantly healed?

In v. 48 we read Jesus’ response, “Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your FAITH has healed you. Go in peace.”

Earlier we learned that this woman had spent all her money to try to be healed. But it wasn’t her money that healed her…it was her FAITH. She is now freed from her suffering and can go live her life in peace. 

FAITH BRINGS PEACE.

At this point in the passage, we return to Jairus. Remember, Jairus was with Jesus because they were on their way to heal Jairus’ daughter.

In v. 49 we read, “While Jesus was still speaking, someone came to him from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ he said. ‘Don’t bother the teacher anymore!’”

In Mark 5:35, it says, “…why bother the teacher anymore?”

As I was reading this, I asked myself, why add this last part, the part about not bothering the teacher anymore? And then it hit me. Because the messenger thought it was too late – that there was nothing Jesus could do.

In V. 50, we have a glimmer of hope as Jesus speaks. “Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just BELIEVE, and she will be healed.’”

One commentator noted, “…in perfect faith there is no fear; the more we fear, the less we believe.”

Matthew Henry

We fast forward to their arrival at Jairus’ house. Jesus didn’t let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother.

Verse 52 tells us, “Meanwhile all the people were wailing and mourning for her. ‘Stop wailing,’ Jesus said. ‘She is not dead but asleep.’”

Why would Jesus make the distinction here? Why would he say that she isn’t dead, but rather asleep? Let’s look at Barnes’ notes:

“Every possible evidence of her death had been given, and he acted on that himself, and conveyed to the people the idea that he raised her ‘from the dead.’ He meant to speak in opposition to their opinions. It is not unlikely that Jairus and the people favored the opinions of the Sadducees, and that ‘they’ understood by her being dead that she had ‘ceased to be,’ and that she would never be raised up again. In opposition to this, the Saviour used the expression ‘she sleepeth;’ affirming mildly both that the ‘body’ was dead, and ‘implying’ that ‘her spirit’ still lived, and that she would be raised up again. A similar mode of speaking occurs in John 11:11 ‘Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.’ The sacred writers often spoke of the pious dead as ‘sleeping,’ 2 Peter 3:4; Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 15:6, 1 Corinthians 15:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15. The meaning of this passage, then, is, the maid has not ceased to ‘exist;’ but, though her body is dead, yet her spirit lives, and she sleeps in the hope of the resurrection.

Phew! I had to read that a couple of times. But it really helped shed a little light on that part of the passage for me.

Let’s return to Jairus’ house. Verse 53 tells us how the people responded when Jesus said the girl wasn’t dead. “They laughed at him, knowing she was dead.” In v. 54 we read, “But he took her by the hand and said, ‘My child, get up!’” And what happened? “Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.” V. 55.

In my last blog post, Awaking Tabitha, I recounted in the Biblical text that when she died, the disciples sent for someone. Who was it?

Peter, that’s right. And after Peter prayed, he said, “Tabitha, get up”, or “Tabitha, arise.” Peter heard Jesus say, “My child get up,” and watched the girl stand up.

Now think about what just happened with Jairus’ daughter in v. 54. Who was in the house with him? Peter!  Jesus had modeled for Peter something he would do at a future time. Isn’t that so amazing?!?

In Luke 9, following this passage, Jesus gives the 12 power and authority to drive out all demons and cure diseases and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Jesus literally empowered the 12. Remember when Jesus’ prayed for the disciples in John 17? He prayed for their protection by the power of His name. There is POWER in the name of Jesus. Our God is OMNIPOTENT – All Powerful.

The next time you feel powerless in a situation, remember the God you serve. Remember who lives in you! Remember to reach out to Jesus, in faith.

Let us go be radiant this week, in faith, reflecting the healing power of God.

Awakening Tabitha

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Just like when buying a house, one thing you want to know right away is location, location, location, when reading Scripture, it’s context, context, context. Sometimes that context isn’t just literary context (what comes before or after a particular passage), but geographical context (where it takes place).

            Our story, Acts 9:32-35, takes place in Joppa. Let’s look at our map. Can you find Joppa?

  • Joppa is a port on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
  • It’s not far from Lydda, also mentioned in our text
  • It would be known today as Tel Aviv or Jaffa
  • Joppa is also referenced in the Old Testament and was the place to which materials to build Solomon’s temple were brought.
  • We also read about it in Jonah when God told him to go to Nineveh: “But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port…” Jonah 1:3
  • Understanding the location of Joppa and that it functions as a port is important as we get to the end of our story – so we’ll come back to it.

The main character in the Biblical account is Tabitha. What do we know about her?

  • She is called a disciple (v. 36)
    • I love that it’s the first thing we read about her
  • She was always doing good (some translations “full of good works”).
    • “Many are full of good *words*, who are empty and barren in good *works*; but Tabitha was a great doer, no great talker.” Matthew Henrey
  • She was always helping the poor
    • She showed her faith by her works
  • She made robes and other clothing (v. 39)
    • The “robes” were closer to the skin, kind of like tunics. The “garments” were the looser outer cloaks worn over them. (Ellicott)
  • She was probably a widow (v. 39, 41)
  • She became sick and died (v. 37)

Peter is another main figure in our Biblical account. “When the disciples heard Peter was in Lydda, which was near Joppa, they sent two men to urge him to come at once.” V. 38

Why do you think they sent for Peter? Do you think they just wanted him to come to console them in their loss?  

We know he had just healed someone in Lydda (which we read about in vs. 32-35). They probably hoped, prayed, maybe even had the expectation that Peter could restore Tabitha’s life. If indeed they had this expectation, what GREAT FAITH they showed, considering that up to this point, it doesn’t appear as if any of the apostles had raised anyone from the dead. (Benson)

*Let’s pause for a moment here – when we have something huge happen in our lives, who do we reach out to and do we do it expectantly?

Peter arrived and all the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing Tabitha had made. My guess is that they were actually wearing that clothing, maybe even clutching it in their hands to show Peter the tangible ways Tabitha had blessed them.

Peter sends them out of the room, gets down on his knees and prays. On commentator noted, He goes to God in “submission of a servant who is under direction.” (Benson) Isn’t that how we should go to God in prayer—submitted to His will and direction? If you’d like to read more about that idea, see my post on Surrender vs. Submit.

Peter turns toward the dead woman and says, Tabitha, get up, or Tabita, arise. She opened her eyes (I would have loved to have seen the expression on Peter’s face) and seeing Peter, she sat up.

If you look back in Luke 8:40-56, you will see a similar scenario in which Jesus healed a dead girl and guess who was there as an eye-witness? You got it, Peter! Jesus had modeled this for him .

Peter takes Tabitha by the hand, helps her up and calls for the believers *especially the widows, and presents her to them alive. Can you imagine the widows rejoicing? How surreal it must have felt?

When reading this text, I had to ask, why would God have allowed Tabitha to get sick to the point of death? One commentator wrote, “Removed by Divine Providence in the midst of her usefulness, probably to give Peter occasion, by another and still more remarkable miracle than that just mentioned, of confirming the gospel, and awakening men’s attention to it…” (Benson). It wasn’t just to awaken Tabitha, but to awaken others to the truth of the gospel.

In v. 42, we read, “This became known all over Joppa and many people believed in the Lord.”

Now, think back to where Joppa is located. It’s a port on the coast. If this became known all over Joppa, is it likely it became known far beyond there as well?

Think about all the lives who were impacted as a result of Peter bringing Tabitha back to life.

  • Tabitha’s
  • The widows
  • The other believers
  • Peter’s
  • People all over Joppa (who as a result BELIEVED) and beyond

When God does something miraculous or supernatural, or answers a prayer in our lives, do the people all over your town hear about it? Does it become known all over? What might happen if it did? Would more people BELIEVE?

Let us go be radiant as we share with others the miracles God has done that they might be awakened to the TRUTH.

Little Faith, Faith, and Great Faith

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Would you like to join me for a little boat ride on the lake? Wonderful! I must warn you though, the weather is going to get quite rough. Don’t worry; we’ll be just fine.

Can you imagine being on a boat when a furious storm comes up? Would you have faith in the captain to get you out of danger? Let’s look at the disciples’ faith when they encountered this situation.

23 “Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Matthew 8:23-27

In the midst of the storm, the disciples’ fear was greater than their faith.

Though it would be easy to blame the disciples for their lack of faith, I’m sure many of us have fallen into that same problem. During the storms of our lives, we allow our fear to grow instead of our faith.

Jesus points out the disciples’ “little faith” and asks why they are so afraid, right before He rebukes the winds and the waves to bring calm. What’s the lesson for the disciples, and for us?

Jesus has authority over nature – have faith in Him.

In Matthew 9:1-8, we see another example of faith. This time, it’s not “little faith.” In this account, we read about some men who bring a paralyzed man to Jesus. What does Jesus notice about them? Their faith! The fact that they brought this man to Him was an act of faith. It’s notable though that He doesn’t heal the man physically right away. What does He do? He forgives the man’s sins.

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son: your sins are forgiven.”

However, just as Jesus proved His authority over nature, here He proves His authority to forgive sins. Verse 6 reads, “’But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.’”

What was the lesson for the teachers of the law who thought Jesus was blaspheming and for us? Jesus has authority to forgive sins. Have faith in Him.

Our last example shows us an unexpected someone of “great faith.” You can read the account in Matthew 8:5-13.

A centurion approaches Jesus and asks Him to heal his servant who is at home, paralyzed and suffering. Jesus asks the centurion, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion humbly said he didn’t deserve to have Jesus under his roof. Instead, he told Jesus, “just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes…”

Now comes Jesus’ response, which is worth reading slowly. “When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, ‘Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such GREAT FAITH.’” (v. 10 emphasis mine).

What made this Roman soldier’s faith so great?

  1. He didn’t consider himself worthy to have Jesus come under his roof (humility).
    1. One commentator noted: “Humble souls are made more humble by Christ’s gracious dealings with them.”
  2. The Centurion told Jesus to just “say the word.”
    1. He had faith Jesus could heal by His word alone. This is what we see in the creation account in Genesis. God spoke and it was done.
  3. The centurion had faith that Jesus has Divine power and command over all that is under him – the creatures of nature and nature itself. He recognized what so many of Jesus’ followers failed to recognize. Jesus not only has the ability to heal sickness, He has the AUTHORITY to heal sickness. The centurion had FAITH that whatever Jesus told the sickness to do, it would do, because He has authority over it just as the centurion was under authority and had soldiers under him.

As we think about how to live out our faith, we can learn a few things from the Centurion:

  1. We can recognize the authority Jesus has over everyone and everything
  2. We can humble ourselves
  3. We can submit ourselves under His authority

I know the word “submit” can carry some negative connotations, so I would encourage you to read my post Surrender vs. Submit. And let’s remember that we are submitted to:

  • the One who created the heavens and the earth.
  • the one who loved us so much, He who was sinless, took on all sin and died that we might be reconciled to God.
  • the One who forgives sins.
  • the One who prepares a place for us in heaven, the One who gives us an inheritance that awaits us…and the list goes on.

Phew! What a boat ride we went on today. May we be people of GREAT FAITH, who trust our Captain, whether for ourselves or for others in the midst of storms, sickness and sin.

Let us go be radiant this week!