Midterm for Advanced Understanding of Spirit, Sickness, and Demons

Randall Q. Lawrence
Faith Bible College
Dr. Nick
10/25/2010

Midterm paper: Seek the Healer and not the healing (at least 3 examples)

I am going to discuss a number of healing stories regarding Jesus. I will focus on stories where persons were not afraid to go after Jesus and his attentions.

First, I will begin with the story of the blind man (or men) near Jericho. This story is recounted for the most part word for word in the 3 synoptic gospels (Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 10:46-52, Luke 18:35-43). Only in Mark is he named as “Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus”. Matthew describes two blind men calling out (v. 30). One thing common to all the accounts is the faith exhibited in calling Jesus “Son of David” implying Messiah or “anointed one” (Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Romans 1:3, Revelation 22:16). The important thing in this story is that the blind man (or men) did not give up on calling out to Jesus and “cried out all the more” when rebuked by others. I like the Mark account about him “throwing off his mantle…”, springing up, and coming to Jesus. He wanted a healing, but his focus was on Jesus and faith in Jesus first. Jesus asked him what he wanted—“let me receive my sight”. Jesus commended his faith in the healing of his sight. All 3 accounts speak of him or them following Jesus, but I like the ending in Luke about him “…glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.” (v. 43) (Note: There is a similar account in Matthew 9:27-31 about two blind men healed)

Second, I would like to look at the story of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:1-42. Jesus breaks a couple of taboo’s here both by speaking with a woman and with a Samaritan woman at the well in asking her for a drink. He offers “living water” (v. 10, 13-14) and describing it as a “…well of water springing up unto everlasting life”. She is still focused on literal water until Jesus proceeds to give her a prophetic “word of knowledge” regarding her having had five husbands and living with another man now. She calls Him a “prophet”. Jesus proceeds to reveal His identity as Messiah and teaches about true worship that supersedes the Jews (worship in Jerusalem) and the Samaritans (worship on the mountain)—“…true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth….God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (v. 23-24) The disciples return and marvel at Him speaking with a Samaritan woman. The woman leaves her pot and goes into the city telling about her encounter with the “Christ”—“Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (v. 29) It is now the disciples’ turn to be too literal when Jesus speaks of His “meat is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work”. (v. 34). Many Samaritans of the city proceeded to entreat him to stay so He and His disciples tarried there for two days. This woman went from going to the well by herself (possibly ostracized from the other women of the city) to becoming an “evangelist” for Jesus Christ for the city. Even though they speak about believing in Him (“…indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world”—v.42) from their own experiences and encounters with the living water of Jesus, it was still the word of the Samaritan woman that drew the “harvest” (John 4:35) for Jesus. This woman found emotional and social healing and restoration by pointing others to Jesus and becoming His messenger for her city and its inhabitants. The Healer provides “living water” and “meat” (doing Will of Father), teaches about “true worship” and about fields “white already to harvest” (v. 35)—essence of discipleship and seeking the Healer. Jesus in ministry has the same focus (“do the will of him that sent me…”—John 4:34) as He did when He was twelve years old (“…I must be about my Father’s business”—Luke 2:49)

Third, I would like to look at the story of the man born blind in John 9:1-41. He has two brief encounters with Jesus at the beginning and end of the chapter. Most of the chapter is devoted to the discussion between this healed man and the Pharisees. The disciples had questioned Jesus on whether this man or his parents had sinned (a common belief was that calamities, disease, or disability resulted from sin). Jesus answered that it was not a result of sin but “that the works of God should be made manifest…” (v. 3) On the Sabbath, Jesus anointed the man with “clay and spittle” and directed him to the pool of Siloam to wash it off then he received his sight. The man had to first answer to the people then to the Pharisees who questioned him, questioned his parents and then questioned him once again. There was division between the Pharisees over his “work” on the Sabbath vs. the evidence of healing. His parents confirmed that he was born blind and could now see. The man had been questioned thoroughly the first time. When he was brought back and told Jesus was a “sinner” (v. 24) according to the Pharisees and was questioned repeatedly regarding his healing, then the man responded with “Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners…If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.” (v. 30-33). They reviled the man and threw him out (a threat with which his parents had been afraid of the Pharisees). After this, Jesus found him and revealed His identity as “Son of God” as He asked him about his faith. The man then confessed his faith in Jesus and worshipped Him. Jesus then makes a statement about coming into the world so the blind will see and so the seeing will be blind (refusal to acknowledge the Lordship of Christ). The man born blind not only received a physical healing but also spiritual sight and revelation of Jesus Christ as Son of God. The man born blind, like the Samaritan woman, first thought of Him as a “prophet” (v. 17) but quickly understood Him as so much more—Son of David, living water, Son of God, THE HEALER.