Jesus the Healer

Our community group is currently inching through the book of Luke. It has been a fabulous study so far and last night was no different. We were studying the last part of Luke 4, where Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law of a high fever and then he proceeds to heal many others as the sun sets on that Sabbath day. 

Gretchen, who led our group last night, brought the following piece of commentary for our discussion last night. It was a wonderful addition to an already great discussion.

Michael Wilcock, The Message of Luke, pp. 67-68

I would therefore make a broad distinction between two methods of healing: not the obvious distinction between the miraculous and the medical but one which lies deeper than that. Where his object is to be known as the Healer, he works immediately; such cures are, as it were, for the shop-window - the kind of success store which establishes the reputation of a great surgeon or physician. I see no reason why in some circumstances today Jesus may not choose to work in this way for this purpose. But where he is already known, he may well say to his trusting patient: 

'I could of course give you immediate relief, but I would rather take the opportunity to do something more far-reaching, which will be to your greater benefit in the long run. You will find it more protracted and perhaps more painful, and you may not understand what I am doing, because I may be treating disorders of which you yourself are unaware.'

He will then set to work to deal with the needs of the whole person, rather than with the obvious need only. He may aim at a calming of spirit, or a strengthening of courage, or a clarifying of vision, as more important objectives than what we would call healing. Indeed the latter may not be experienced at all in this life, but only at the final 'saving and raising' of the sick, when their mortal nature puts on immortality. For I think it is no accident that each of these two words in James 5 has a double meaning, making the applicable equally to this life and to the next: sozo, to heal, or to save; egeiro, to raise from sickness, or raise from the death. The 'prayer of faith' cannot fail to bring about this result, one way or the other. But the faith in which such prayer is prayed must be, not faith that Jesus will heal in some particular way (i.e., the way we should advise him to do it!), but faith in Jesus the Healer, who will choose his own timing and method. Then even today his word of power in this respect will amaze onlookers (4:36) and bring others to seek him (4:40).

It is obvious to me that this writer has lived through a time of faith crisis and walked away 'healed'. Thanks for bringing this to the table, Gretchen.