The Power of Healing

When we read the scriptures, it is often important to take a look at what stories come before and after the one we are focused on. They can often give us extra insight about the current passage.  That’s true today.  The passage right before this is about Jesus healing a leper.  The man is sick and spiritually/ritually unclean. He would have been a social outcast because of his wounds.  And he approached Jesus and said, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” To which Jesus replies, “I do choose. Be made clean.”  And then Jesus told him not to tell anyone. Jesus was sort of a comedian sometimes.  I mean really, you tell a man who was physically sick…has sores on his body—and is not allowed to have normal social interactions who is now healthy and allowed to be with people to not say anything about what happened.  Come on.  That’s just not fair. People would have noticed. They would have asked him. They would have talked about him with or without information about what really happened. And so word spread. People started talking about Jesus and becoming more and more interested in him.  

And now we come to today’s passage where Jesus was teaching—surrounded by a large crowd of Jewish leaders—not just locals but from all over—(Galilee in the north, Judea in the south, and Jerusalem—the religious center). The whole house was packed—the fact that it was at a house indicates that it probably wasn’t a formal teaching, otherwise they would have been at a synagogue—but there they were and word was out. Jesus was a teacher AND a healer.  Maybe they were asking about the leper and how he healed him. at this point in the Gospel of Luke, there wasn’t a whole lot to be talking about…we have his birth story and the flight to Egypt, we have John the Baptist talking about Jesus and then baptizing him. We have the temptation in the desert and then Jesus calling the first disciples. Those are big events in our minds, but probably wouldn’t have mattered much to the masses at that point in Jesus’ life.  And yet, something drew them to him and had them filling every square inch of that house.  And it seems likely that that something was the story of Jesus healing the leper. 

Then we see these 4 men who brought their friend to meet Jesus.  He’s on his bed and he’s there to be healed. Only they couldn’t push through the crowd. So they did what any reasonable friend would do—they climbed up on the roof—opened it up and plopped him down right in front of Jesus. Make no mistake, these friends wanted their friend to be healed and they were pretty convinced that Jesus was the man for the job. And Jesus apparently saw that in them since the story says, “because of their faith, he healed the man.”  Well, technically, he forgave the man. He said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”  

Now, some might ask, “Why did Jesus forgive the man, when what he needed was to be healed?”  The statement sort of indicates there’s a connection between forgiveness and healing. But making that connection can be a bit of a slippery slope since we begin to wonder…does someone always have to be forgiven before they can be healed?  (The answer to which is no…we find that right before this passage in the earlier part of Luke 5 when Jesus heals the leper and there was no mention of forgiveness or sins.) and the other question that arises is “Is the man’s paralyzation a punishment for his sin?”  We don’t have the direct answer for that right here in the scriptures, but we have it lots of other places…Jesus came to heal, to restore, to forgive and to save…not to condemn.  There are no scriptures where Jesus says, “Hey, you’re a sinner, you should suffer.”  Not one.  So let’s not read too much into all of this and go around thinking that sick people are the worst sinners.  I’m sure we all know someone wonderful who has suffered far more than their share, and on the opposite end, I’m sure we also know someone not so wonderful who could afford to suffer a little more.  (at least in our estimation).  

Ok, so back to the task at hand…”Why did Jesus start with forgiveness when what the man needed was healing?”  I think the answer is two-fold.  1) The scripture suggests there is a connection between forgiveness and healing.  Forgiveness isn’t always tied to healing, but apparently, sometimes it is.  And, 2) Jesus seems to be establishing his authority as the Son of Man and proving that he has the authority both to heal (like he did right before this with the leper) and to forgive (as he does in this passage).  He’s showing that God’s power and authority is shared with him for his work here on earth. 

Let’s go back to this man…who has now been offered forgiveness even though he’s confessed nothing and asked for nothing.  And before he can say or do anything, there’s a whole bunch of doubters in the room wondering just how Jesus gets the authority to say anyone is forgiven…he has no right…only God can do that.  (When maybe just minutes before they were asking how he could heal…when only God could do that…)  Whatever the case, the Pharisees aren’t seeing the full picture.  And Jesus can tell they’re grumbling and so he asks the most bizarre question, “which is easier to say, ‘you’re forgiven’ or ‘take up your mat and walk’?” Which is easier to say?  Like in Aramaic?  I don’t know. Is one of them hard to say?!  Is it really about the words?  It’s kind of like Jesus is saying, “come on guys, it’s semantics. I’ve already shown you I can heal. Now I’m showing you I can forgive.”  Do you really want me to say, “you’re healed, now get up and walk?”  Ok.  “You’re healed, get up and walk.”  It doesn’t make a difference in the end since I have the authority to do both. I am the Son of Man and in case you had any doubts about what that means, here’s the beginner’s lesson…it means I can heal AND forgive.  

So, what difference does any of that make for us?  Well, what was true then is also true now.  Jesus is the Son of Man who has the authority of God to both heal and forgive.  Sometimes the healing will be tied to forgiveness and other times it won’t.  Sometimes healing is offered when we ask directly, and sometimes Jesus will bless or heal through the faith and faithfulness of friends.  Sometimes we’ll doubt that he can actually do that…we’ll say it’s not possible, we’ll have too many questions to believe in the miracle. And yet Jesus persists in healing and forgiving, proving it’s not just possible, but it’s also probable.  

Now, I have to say, there are also lots of things I don’t understand and can’t explain about healing. It’s not a perfect science.  I don’t have the magic prayer or petition formula so that each person is healed just like we want when we want it.  I believe healing is possible. I believe that sometimes forgiveness is a necessary first step. I believe God hears us when we pray for our friends—that our faith is taken seriously, even if they’ve weathered so many storms that they can’t or won’t ask for themselves.  And I can’t explain when it doesn’t happen.  For a lot of us, we want to believe in the power of prayer. We want to believe Jesus can and will do these awesome things. And at the same time our hearts have been broken and our faith has been shattered when it seems God didn’t listen to our prayers. When that really amazing person suffered far more than their share even though the whole church was praying…we begin to wonder what God was thinking and what God was doing.  It can be hard to claim faith when we try to do all the right things and still don’t see the results we have asked for.  And I can’t help but wonder if that’s what happened for this man…the paralytic. Maybe he did have faith, maybe he had prayed 1000 times to be healed. Maybe everyone else around him seemed to be getting better and yet he wasn’t. Maybe he’d prayed so long and so hard and didn’t see or hear God answering that he had given up.  Maybe he’d lost hope.  And so when his friends’ faith (which may or may not have been equally strained) heard about this man named Jesus and the way he healed a leper their faith was stirred, and hope was kindled, they went back to their friend to share their hope.  Notice, he didn’t let them put him on their backs or simply carry him, he stayed on his mat and had to be taken, bed and all. Now, maybe that was the most necessary given his condition, or maybe it became necessary because he didn’t have an ounce of faith to even try for fear of being let down again.  

Faith isn’t an easy journey….there are ups and downs and everything in between.  When we go through hardship it can be extra hard to believe God cares or is willing to do anything to help us.  And yet the power of the Gospel keeps coming back…Jesus has the power to heal and forgive…his purpose is to redeem and restore. That’s his job—100%…even when we doubt it. Even when life has knocked us to our knees and we have to rely on the faith of our friends because ours is just too weak. Jesus is a healer, he’s a Savior…and that blessing, those miracles aren’t reserved for a select few…he came for the world…that means all of us.

Now, I certainly can’t guarantee the outcome, I don’t have that power or that authority, but I will say it’s worth asking…for ourselves and for our friends because the one who came to heal and forgive hasn’t given up on his power or authority.  Jesus is still in the business of redeeming and restoring. It’s courageous and risky to ask.  We don’t know how God will answer. And often, it seems, God’s reply is not our specific prayer, but that doesn’t mean God didn’t answer us.  It doesn’t mean God didn’t act.  If you have doubts, I get it; we’ve lived the ups and downs and unknowns in the last few years.  My mom has had a hard road of recovery after a hip replacement and then a fall, and now she’s facing stage 4 cancer…I’ve wondered how efficacious my prayers are.  And in the midst of her seeming lack of healing, I’ve also seen her persevere to walk after months in a wheelchair. I’ve seen her go from the ICU with sepsis to back in rehab. It may seem minor in the face of terminal cancer, but they’re still answered prayers.  And I have to take note and remember those moments as much, if not more, than the unanswered prayers I hold against God.  

The heart of the Gospel is about God’s deep abiding love for us. There will be lots of people and lots of things that try to diminish and defeat that truth in our lives.  But if we return to the scriptures, over and over again we will see God’s power at work—transforming and changing lives, reaching those on the margins, blessing the afflicted.  And, we will see the need to seek after Christ, sometimes for our own healing and forgiveness, and sometimes for our friends (or family) when they’re run down, weary, or feeling hopeless.  We are called to call on Christ. And we are invited to be the bearers of good news, offering hope, telling about this man named Jesus, and bringing the broken and the hurting to Christ in faith, just like the friends did for their paralyzed friend.

The Power of Love

Mary and Martha and the Jews that surrounded them (mourners most likely) saw Jesus’ love for Lazarus.  The trouble is they mistook it to be like their love—phileo love. They loved Lazarus like a brother and knew what they would do for him. What they didn’t understand was that Jesus loved Lazarus beyond that.  Jesus loved him with agape love. The agape love was more abundant, more selfless and more unconditional than what they knew.  And if that agape love is so much greater, can’t we at least imagine what it would do what is best, what is most loving for Lazarus? If we think Jesus’ love is phileo like theirs then we can see how his initial response seems insufficient. It’s far less than what any of them would have done. But if we see from the start that phileo and agape are not even in the same league of love then we can begin to trust that jesus would have chosen whatever it was that was right for Lazarus.  And since agape love is God’s love (not like phileo love of brothers or storge love of parents or eros love of couples) then we can see that in turn it draws us closer to God. Jesus chose to do that which would draw Lazarus into deeper relationship with God. 

Let’s go back to the scripture and see what happens.  We have Mary and Martha and all those who have come to mourn with them. We now see that they are reviewing the events for what they would have done. But Jesus doesn’t act in accordance with their expectation, he acts in accordance with God’s purposes. 

Our scene starts with Jesus receiving news that Lazarus is sick and dying and in need of his help.  What’s expected is that Jesus would drop whatever he is doing to go and make Lazarus healthy again.  But Jesus doesn’t jump and run. Instead he is calm and trusting that God’s will be revealed and glorified through Lazarus. 

After two days, Jesus decides to head back to Judea, but the disciples argue with him saying that he shouldn’t risk it, that there are too many Jewish leaders who want him dead.  And he replies in sort of an odd way, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. ¹⁰ But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” In essence, if you walk in the light you will have no need to stumble. Instead, trouble lurks when you walk in darkness.

Jesus and the disciples then continue on their way to Bethany and are met by Martha, who is grieving and anxious. She says, “Lord, if only you had been there, Lazarus wouldn’t have died.  But I believe that if you ask, God will still answer you.”

Jesus replies: “he will be raised.”

Martha: “I know that eventually he will.”

Jesus: “You don’t have to wait. All those who believe in me have life. Do you believe?

Martha: “yes, I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

Now, before we go further, I think we need “believe” needs clarification.  Believe to most of our ears implies consenting with your head.  To say you believe in something means you find it probable or logical.  But the Greek word for believe, pisteuo, doesn’t imply believing with our mind, it’s more about believing with our hearts.  It’s about faith and trust.  I think for us to hear it more accurately we need to substitute the word trust.  For even that which cannot be made rational in our minds can be trusted with our hearts. Let’s take a simple example. How many of us have ever flown in an airplane? Anyone ever been on one of the massive planes?  Anyone ever been on a plane and started doing the math?  There’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 seats in a row.   And 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 rows on the plane.  That’s 6 x 30 = 180, 5 x 6 = 30, so that’s 210 people, plus pilots and stewards, so 220.  Let’s say we average 180 pounds, that’s….nevermind, let’s keep the math simple, let’s say we average 200 pounds each (that includes your carry ons) that means 44,000 pounds in people weight. Then another 50 pounds in luggage, so another 11,000 pounds, plus the weight of the plane.  I have no idea how much planes weigh, but just for the sake of argument, let’s say it’s about 50,000 pounds. So now we have 100,000 pounds, more or less, flying through the air.  For all that seems reasonable or feasible, I’d never imagine 100,000 pounds could float on air.  I’d imagine that sucker should just fall right out of the air.  I know, we could do the physics to explain how and why it’s possible, but let’s be realistic, how many of us actually do that?  Like 3 of us, maybe.  The rest of us just go, the rest of us just go, “that doesn’t make sense.” BUT we trust that it’s possible otherwise we never would have boarded the plane in the first place. 

Do we see how there’s a difference between believing with our minds and trusting with our hearts? And that’s an easy example because it’s something that ultimately could be explained in a way that satisfies our minds. But how many other types of things happen that don’t make logical sense but are still trusted?

·         Taking pig veins and repairing a human heart?

·         Putting a little machine to keep your heart beating in rhythm?

·         Recovery from addiction?

·         Change of heart?

·         Love?  

That which isn’t logical can still be believed because we trust it with our hearts. 

Ok, back to the scripture—so Jesus says, resurrection and life are possible for all who believe in me, for all who trust in me with their hearts.  And then he asks Martha, “Do you trust me?” and she says, “Absolutely!” And she goes to get her sister and Mary and the entourage of mourners come out weeping and wailing and Jesus gets upset.  Some translations say he was “groaning in his spirit” or “troubled” but again, the Greek word holds more meaning than that.  The greek words mean “agitated” and “indignant”—a little more than troubled.  So Jesus is irritated and bothered by the response of the Jews. I assume because they lacked trust.  They only knew what was believable with their minds which was that Lazarus was dead—they didn’t trust with their hearts and that broke Jesus’ heart. And then the scripture says, “Jesus wept.” I’ve always assumed like the crowd does that Jesus wept because of his friend.  He loved Lazarus so much and now he’s dead and so Jesus wept. But I gotta tell you, I don’t think Jesus wept for Lazarus.  I think Jesus wept for the crowd—for their lack of trust, for the ways he had failed to make them see what was possible through God. I think he wept for the crowd’s inability to see the greatness of God’s agape love.  But they didn’t see it.  They could only see phileo and so they prattle on about how clearly Jesus loved Lazarus but if he really loved him this never would have happened in the first place.  And it’s all just killing Jesus inside.  He’s torn up and frustrated—he desperately wants them to trust him but they keep looking with their eyes and not their hearts. 

Finally, our scene ends at the tomb. A cave in the hillside sealed with a stone and Jesus asks that it be removed and still all Martha sees is what makes sense, “Are you kidding?! He’s been dead for 4 days—it’s gonna stink in there!” 

And Jesus replies, (more or less) “Come on Martha! Don’t you trust me?!  I told you God would be glorified that means God will do more than what’s logical. God does what’s miraculous!” 

The stone is move and Jesus gives God thanks before Lazarus is even seen.  “Thank you God for hearing me. I mean, I know you hear me all the time, but apparently these folks need to be reminded that you listen.” 

And then to Lazarus Jesus says, “Come out!” 

And still wrapped in the embalming rags Lazarus comes out.  God did the miraculous.  It’s not logical. It doesn’t make sense.  And we likely won’t believe it with our minds.  But we aren’t asked to.  Instead we are invited to believe and trust with our hearts, to know in our hearts, that God’s love is capable of so much more than we ever might imagine. 

God’s love is different than a brother’s love.  (A brother is  a protector. He cares about us and our well-being and would protect us from harm.  God’s love is agape love—it’s selfless, abundant and unconditional.  While it may be that God’s love will protect us, the ultimate goal of agape love isn’t simply protection from harm, ultimately God’s love seeks to draw us into the redemptive and life-giving work of God.  So even though Lazarus was sick and died, Jesus didn’t stand idly by and allow suffering for the sake of suffering. Jesus came to Lazarus and performed a miracle. He raised him from the dead. He made him part of God’s story of redemption, salvation and new life.  That’s what this story is about.  Jesus was never ambivalent to the situation.  He always wanted what was best for Lazarus and what was best was not a cure for an illness, but the gift of salvation.  Jesus sozo’d Lazarus.  Sozo means a variety of things.  For Jesus to sozo him means God delivered Lazarus. God protected Lazarus. God healed Lazarus. God saved Lazarus. God drew Lazarus into wholeness.  God sozo’d him and that was far greater than a cure.