Sunday, April 8, 2012

How Many? And When?

Some Biblical clarity on healing:

The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.  - Matthew 4:24 NASB

All... and they were healed.

When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill.  - Matthew 8:16 NASB

Healed all.

But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all,  - Matthew 12:15 NASB

Healed... all.

While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them. Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.  - Luke 4:40-41 NASB

All... Jesus was healing them

Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.  - Luke 6:17-19 NASB

All the people... healing them all.

All of them were healed, every last one of them. The devils were cast out.

So how does this fit in with the modern mentality?

Today, if a person says he can heal, people immediately say "if that is so, then why don't you go heal everybody in the hospital?"

And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, "Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us." But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once.  - Matthew 15:22-28 NASB

Notice, Jesus was sent only; He was only sent to Israel. It is interesting that He healed the woman's daughter anyway. He healed because of "great" faith.

Is there "great faith" in the patients in the hospitals?

If there is, faith in what?

Here's where it ends up, where it all started. Just as soon as Jesus came out of the wilderness, just as soon as He got started, He prophesied that they would mock Him too.

And He said to them, "No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.'" And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.  - Luke 4:23-24 NASB

If You're a healer, heal Yourself... or how about, if you're such a healer, why don't you heal everybody in the hospital?

???

Keep reading:

"But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. "And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;  - Luke 4:25-28 NASB

Jesus used this as the reason or answer to the accusation that would come.

No matter what you you do, the accusers will mock you.

What are you sent to do?

Elijah was sent for a specific purpose; Elisha was sent... Jesus was sent for a specific purpose...

So what were you sent to do?

Are you doing it?

I know what I was sent to do...

Are you ready?!

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