Chapter 26
HEALING
Part I - Physical Infirmities
(Matthew 9:18-31)
As one reads the Bible and especially the New Testament one can not help but notice all the accounts of how God or His servants healed the sick. With this in mind the next three chapters are devoted to the subject of healing and are arranged as follows:
Chapter 26: Healing - Part I Physical Infirmities
Chapter 27: Healing - Part II Spiritual Oppression and Possession
Chapter 28: Healing - Part III Sin
Before we explore the subject of healing physical infirmities, let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Holy Father we ask You to please bless our study of Your Word. Please grant us the ability to understand and accept Your instruction to us. Father, we pray and ask that as we read Your Word would You please strengthen our faith, belief and trust in You, Your Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and Your Word.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
We begin our study by reading about the following three instances during which our Lord Jesus Christ healed the sick.
Matthew 9:18-31
"[18] …, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." [19] Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. [20] Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. [21] She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." [22] Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment. [23] When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, [24] he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. [25] After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. [26] News of this spread through all that region. [27] As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" [28] When 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. [29] Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; [30] and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this." [31] But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region."
To explore the subject of healing physical infirmities we will,
1. See that first and foremost God is our healer.
2. Find that God will sometimes administer physical healing through the actions of others.
3. Discover that God administers physical healing in two ways, which is miraculously and through natural means.
4. Address some questions such as: (1) Does God heal miraculously today?, (2) Is miraculous healing a sign that the person by whom it occurred is a faithful servant of God? And (3) When asked, can we expect God will always heal us?
With this introduction we begin by noting that the Bible clearly teaches us that first and foremost,
GOD IS OUR HEALER (OR) PHYSICIAN
To see this, let us read the following excerpt of what God, through Moses, told the Israelites with respect to their physical well being. It is recorded in,
Exodus 15:26
"[26] He said, "… I am the LORD, who heals you.""
To be sure we have not misinterpreted what God said through Moses, let us now read an applicable excerpt of what God the Holy Spirit said through King David as recorded in,
Psalm 103:1-3
"[1] Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. [2] Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- [3] who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,"
Thus, we find that the Bible teaches us that it is God who heals our physical infirmities or diseases. Consequently, when Jesus, who was God manifested in the body of a man (Philippians 2:5-7), walked upon this earth we read about Him curing the sick and the dying at an unprecedented magnitude. For example, let us consider the following Scriptures,
Matthew 4:23-25
"[23] Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. [24] News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. [25] Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him."
In reading the Old Testament we discover that when the Messiah or the Christ would come this is exactly what would happen. To see this let us read the following Scriptures from the prophet Isaiah,
Isaiah 35:4-6(a)
"[4] say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." [5] Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. [6] Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy..."
So that we have no doubt this prophecy was for the arrival of Jesus Christ, let us read what Jesus told the disciples of John the Baptist when they asked Him if He was the Messiah. His conversation with them is recorded in,
Luke 7:18-23
"[18] John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, [19] he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" [20] When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'" [21] At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. [22] So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. [23] Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.""
The Bible also teaches us that
GOD WILL ALSO WORK THROUGH HIS PEOPLE
To see this we will,
1. Review the example of Elisha and the Shunammite boy.
2. See that Jesus gave His disciples the authority to heal the sick.
THE PROPHET ELISHA AND THE SHUNAMMITE BOY
During his travels, the prophet Elisha would periodically stop and rest in the upper room that a Shunammite woman prepared for him. Being grateful for her hospitality Elisha asked what he could do for her. Elisha's servant, Gehazi, told Elisha that the woman and her husband could not have a child. Elisha told the woman that by the following year they would have a son. The Shunammite woman, just as Elisha said, had a son. However, after a period of time, the son became deathly ill and died. Upon his death the woman left her house to tell Elisha what had happened. With this background let us now read what Elisha did after he heard about the death of the Shunammite boy.
2 Kings 4:29-37
"[29] Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy's face." [30] But the child's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So he got up and followed her. [31] Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, "The boy has not awakened." [32] When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. [33] He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. [34] Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy's body grew warm. [35] Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. [36] Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite." And he did. When she came, he said, "Take your son." [37] She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out."
Let us note that in the above account, God, through the hand of Elisha, not only healed the Shunammite woman and her husband from their infirmity with respect to having children but He also healed their son and brought him back to life.
Let us now leave the Old Testament and read that,
JESUS GAVE THE AUTHORITY TO HEAL THE SICK TO HIS CHURCH
To see this remarkable truth we will,
1. See that Jesus gave His twelve Apostles the authority to heal the sick.
2. Find that in addition to His twelve Apostles, Jesus also gave seventy two others the authority to heal the sick.
3. Discover that God the Holy Spirit has also given to some of the members within the body of Christ gifts of healing.
We begin by reading about the time when,
Jesus gave the twelve Apostles authority to heal the sick
When Jesus sent His Apostles to preach about the Kingdom of God, He also gave them the authority to heal the sick. This is recorded for us in,
Luke 9:1-6
"[1] When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, [2] and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. [3] He told them: "Take nothing for the journey--no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. [4] Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. [5] If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them." [6] So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere."
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … In addition to the authority to cast out demons Jesus gave His twelve disciples power and authority to cure diseases.
2 … Jesus sent them to preach and heal the sick.
5... If the people did not welcome them they were to move on.
6 … The twelve disciples did exactly what Jesus told them to do.
We also discover that Jesus delegated this same authority to,
Seventy two others
To see this let us read from,
Luke 10:1-9
"[1] After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. [2] He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. [3] Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. [4] Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. [5] "When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' [6] If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. [7] Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. [8] "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. [9] Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.'"
Let us notice the following verses,
1-2 … Jesus appointed seventy two others to go before Him. In addition, they were to ask God the Father to send out His workers to the harvest.
6. Again we find that if they were received they were to remain. However, if they were not received they were to move on.
9 … Jesus told the seventy two to heal the sick and tell the people that the Kingdom of God had come near to them.
In the New Testament Epistles we discover that this authority to heal the sick has also been given to some of the members within the body of Christ, which is the Church. To see this let us read about some of,
The gifts of God the Holy Spirit
To do this let us read from,
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
"[4] There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. [6] There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. [7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. [8] To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, [10] to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. [11] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines."
Let us notice the following verses,
4-5 … There are different gifts of the Holy Spirit, there are different kinds of workings of the Holy Spirit and there are different types of service.
7 … Every member of the body of Christ has been given a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. In other words, every true born again believer in Jesus Christ has been given a gift of the Holy Spirit to be used for the good of others.
9 … Two of the many manifestations of the Holy Spirit given to the body of Christ is the gift of faith and gifts of healing.
Thus far in our study we have come to realize that first and foremost God is the Healer of our physical infirmities and diseases. In addition, we have found that God has also chosen to bring about healing through some of His servants or disciples.
With this in mind let us now address the question of: "How?" "How does God administer healing to the sick?" The answer to these questions is simply,
GOD HEALS IN TWO WAYS
As we read the Scriptures we find that God has and will heal the sick both miraculously and by natural means. We begin with,
MIRACULOUS HEALING
The Bible reveals to us that God has used many and various methods to bring about a miraculous healing of a person's infirmity or disease. To see this we will read three of the many miraculous accounts of God's healing touch.
First there is,
The spoken word
An example of this method can be found when Jesus restored the sight of a blind man. This is recorded in,
Luke 18:35-43
"[35] As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. [36] When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. [37] They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." [38] He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" [39] Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" [40] Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, [41] "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied. [42] Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." [43] Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God."
Our Lord also used and will use the spoken word through His servants. For example, while in Lystra, the Apostle Paul healed a crippled man by telling him to stand up. This is recorded in,
Acts 14:8-10
"[8] In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. [9] He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed [10] and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk."
Secondly, there is the healing via,
The laying on of hands
An example of this method is found when Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law. This is recorded in,
Matthew 8:14-15
"[14] When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. [15] He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him."
Our Lord also used this method through His servants. To see this let us read about the time, when ship wrecked on Malta, Paul healed Publius' father. The account of this healing is found in,
Acts 28:7-10
"[7] There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. [8] His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. [9] When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. [10] They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed."
The third and last example of the many ways our Lord may choose to bring about a miraculous healing was through,
Articles of clothing
A good example of this method is when Jesus healed a woman from her flow of blood. Even though the account of this healing is recorded in Matthew 9:18-22, the account of this healing is more clearly described in,
Luke 8:41-48
"[41] Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house [42] because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. [43] And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. [44] She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. [45] "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you." [46] But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me." [47] Then the woman, seeing that 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. [48] Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.""
God will also use this method of healing through His servants. For example, in the following excerpt from the book of Acts we read how God brought about extraordinary miracles through His servant Paul,
Acts 19:11-12
"[11] God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, [12] so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them."
In the Scriptures we find that God does not always use the miraculous to heal physical infirmities, afflictions and diseases. In the Bible we discover that God often uses,
NATURAL MEANS (SUCH AS MEDICATION)
To see this let us read some examples of how God used medication of that day to heal the sick.
Our first example is,
The use of saliva
According to Alfred Edersheim's book titled "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah" the use of saliva was a well know Jewish remedy for afflictions of the eye1. In fact the use of saliva for cures was universally recognized by both Jew and Gentile alike. An example for the use of this type of medication to bring about a physical healing is when Jesus used it to heal a man's eyes. This is recorded in,
John 9:6-7
"[6] Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. [7] "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."
Our second example is,
The use of oil
According to the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible2 oil was also used to cure diseases. An example for the use of oil to heal the sick is found by reading what the twelve Apostles did after Jesus told them to go heal the sick and preach the Gospel. To read what happened, let us go to,
Mark 6:712-13
[12] They went out and preached that people should repent. [13] They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them."
As a side note, the mixture of oil and wine was also used to heal open wounds. A good example of this is in the parable of the Good Samaritan that Jesus gave to an expert in the Law of Moses,
Luke 10:29-34
[29] But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” [30] Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. [31] Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. [32] Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. [33] But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. [34] So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
This now brings us to our third and last example which is,
The use of wine
For this example we find that the Apostle Paul told Timothy to take a periodic drink of wine to cure his stomach problems and his frequent illnesses. Paul's advice to Timothy is recorded for us in,
1 Timothy 5:23
"[23] Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses."
As a side note, when I was a growing boy, to help alleviate my frequent illnesses, our family doctor prescribed a daily drink of Red Port wine..
RECAP
Before we precede with the last portion of our study let us recap what we have covered thus far.
1. God is our healer or physician.
2. God also gave the authority to heal the sick to some of His servants.
3. God brings about healing through many and various ways.
SOME QUESTIONS
Given all that we have covered the following questions come to mind.
1. Does God heal miraculously today?
2. If a miraculous healing comes through the hands of an individual does that mean that person is a true born again believer of Jesus Christ?
3. When asked, "Will God always heal us?"
Let us begin by addressing the question of,
DOES GOD HEAL MIRACULOUSLY TODAY?
Let us recall that earlier we read that one of the gifts that God the Holy Spirit has given to the body of Christ is the gifts of healing. To refresh our memories let read again,
1 Corinthians 12:9
"[9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,"
Notice the Scripture says gifts of healing, that is there are various types of healing gifts the Holy Spirit has given to the body of Christ.
For a testimony to the validity of the above Scripture, both my wife Eleanor and I have seen and experienced God miraculously heal the sick through prayer and the laying on of hands.
It must be clearly pointed out that even though God does miraculously heal the sick today, it does not mean that we should be presumptuous and ignore or avoid using the natural means of physical healing, such as medication, surgery, rest, good diet, etc. Remember, previously we found that God can and will use either the miraculous or natural method for healing the sick. It is His discretion. We must never, never forget that He is the Lord and He is our Healer.
The next question to be addressed is,
IF A MIRACULOUS HEALING COMES THROUGH THE HAND OF AN INDIVIDUAL, DOES THAT MEAN THEY ARE A TRUE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER FAITHFULLY SERVING JESUS CHRIST?
The answer to this question is, "Not necessarily." To see this we must first remember that Jesus warned us to,
Beware of false prophets or ministers
Jesus' warning can be found in,
Matthew 7:15-23
""[15] Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. [16] By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. [21] "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' [23] Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
Let us notice the following verses,
20 … It will be by their fruit, which is love and not by spiritual gifts, such as healing, miracles, etc. that we will know who is and who is not of God.
21 …Only those who do the will of God will enter His Kingdom, that is the ones who are His are the ones who do His will.
23 … To those who practice lawlessness (sin) or do not bear good fruit Jesus will say that He never knew them.
A good example of this principle is Judas Iscariot. Let us remember when Jesus told the twelve to preach and heal the sick, Judas was one of them. Thus, he along with Peter, James, John, etc. preached the Gospel and healed the sick. However, we also know that Judas Iscariot practiced lawlessness and did not bear good fruit. He stole from their money box (John 12:6) and betrayed Jesus. In fact Jesus identified him as one who belonged to the evil one.
John 6:70
[70] Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”
Consequently, the Bible warns us to,
Beware of seeking after signs and wonders
God the Holy Spirit in Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians warns the church that it will be through signs and wonders that those who do not love and cling to the truth will be deceived into following a lie. To see this let us read from,
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
"[9] The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, [10] and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. [11] For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie [12] and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness."
The third and last question for this study is the one of,
WHEN ASKED, WILL GOD ALWAYS HEAL US FROM OUR PHYSICAL INFIRMINITIES?
The answer to this question is no. To see this let us examine,
Some reasons why God may not miraculously heal us
In reading the Scriptures there are at least two reasons why God may not use the miraculous to heal our physical infirmity.
The first reason may simply be that God may chose to heal us via a natural method. Or, perhaps as we will see later, God may have decided this it not for the time for us to be healed.
The second reason God may not use the miraculous to heal our physical infirmity may be our lack of faith. To see this let us read what happened when Jesus went into His home country. To do this let us read from,
Matthew 13:54-58
"[54] Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. [55] "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? [56] Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" [57] And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor." [58] And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith."
Let us notice the following verses,
54 … The people of His own country were amazed and perplexed about where and how Jesus possessed such great wisdom and power.
55-57 … The reason the people were so astonished was because from the time He and His human parents returned from Egypt, He grew up among them. They saw Him as an infant, a little boy, a teenager and a young man. In other words, they only saw and knew about His humanity.
58 … Because of their unbelief and lack of faith in Him, He was not able to perform miraculous signs.
If we find this to be our situation, what should we do or what is the remedy?
First and foremost we should pray and ask Jesus to take away our unbelief and give us faith in Him. Remember, Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith. This truth is recorded in,
Hebrews 12:2
"[2] Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Secondly, to receive faith we are told to read the Bible, that is the Word of God. This instruction is given in,
Romans 10:17
"[17] Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
In reading the Scriptures we find that are at least
Two reasons why God may not heal us miraculously or otherwise
The first reason might be the manner in which we partake of the Lord's Supper. To see this, let us read the following instruction the Apostle Paul gave to the church in Corinth.
1 Corinthians 11:17-31
"[17] In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. [18] In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. [19] No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. [20] When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, [21] for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. [22] Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not! [23] For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, [24] and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." [25] In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." [26] For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. [27] Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. [28] A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. [29] For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. [30] That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. [31] But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment."
Let us notice the following verses,
17 … The way they were celebrating the Lord’s Supper was doing more harm than good.
18-19 … Within the body of Christ in Corinth there were factions and divisions. These factions developed by those who felt they were spiritually superior or more blessed by the Lord than the others. In other words they did not recognize they were all one in Christ Jesus.
20-22 … Those who were well off had no compassion or concern for those who were in need. Thus, in addition to divisions along spiritual lines there were also divisions along financial lines.
27-30 … Here we find the seriousness of the Lord’s Supper. Specifically, if it is observed in an unworthy manner, the person who does so brings judgment upon themselves. This is why in verse 17 Paul said they were doing more harm than good. Consequently, as it is stated in verse 29, when we come to celebrate our Lord’s Supper we are to bring to mind and take to heart that: (a) we are gathering together as one body, that is the body of Christ and (b) we will be spiritually partaking of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
31 … Thus, to avoid judgment, we are to judge ourselves prior to celebrating the Lord’s Supper. This judging or examination of our self does not only pertain to how we behave during the Lord’s Supper. It also includes an examination of our life. To see this let us read from,
1 John 1:6-7
"[6] If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
Let us notice the following verses,
6 … If I am living my life in a known sin that is not confessed and repented of, then I am not in fellowship with the Lord. If this is my situation, how can I possibly participate in such an intimate act as the Lord’s Supper? If in this case I did partake of my Lord's Supper, would I not be mocking the incredible sacrifice He made to save me from the very sin I refuse to confess and repent of?
7 … If I am in the light, that is all know and unknown sin is confessed and repented of, then I not only have fellowship with my Lord but also with all those that are His. If this is my situation, then I’m in a state of readiness to partake of the body and blood of my Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus, before we come to the table of our Lord, we should first examine our lives and sincerely repent and confess all known or unknown sin. Remember when we do this, God promises that He will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
"[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
The second reason why God may chose not to heal us from our infirmity is that there is a season for everything. To see this let us read the following excerpt from the book of Ecclesiastes,
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
"[1] There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: [2] a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, [3] a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, [4] a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, [5] a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, [6] a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, [7] a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, [8] a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."
An example of this truth is the time when it was time for the prophet Elisha to pass on. To see what happened let us go to,
2 Kings 13:14
"[14] Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. "My father! My father!" he cried. "The chariots and horsemen of Israel!""
A second example is in the following excerpt of Paul’ letter to Timothy,
2 Timothy 4:20
[20] … Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.
SUMMARY
First and foremost, God is our healer.
Exodus 15:26
"… I am the LORD, who heals you.""
Secondly, God may administer physical healing through His people.
Luke 9:1
"[1] When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,"
Third, God heals in various ways. There are times when He will bring about a healing in a miraculous way, such as the time He healed Peter's mother-in-law.
Matthew 8:14-15
"[14] When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. [15] He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him."
There are also times when God will heal by natural means as when Jesus used saliva to heal the eyes of a blind man.
John 9:6-7
"[6] Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. [7] "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."
Finally, whether or not God chooses to heal our physical infirmities or diseases we are to be confident in the truth that all things that happen to those who love Him are for their own good. To see this let us now close this study by reading from,
Romans 8:28
"[28] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Blessed by the Lord forever,
Amen and Amen