Healing And Forgiveness

In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.” [Luke 5.12-14] 

This account is also found in Mark, chapter 1 and Matthew, chapter 8. All three accounts record Jesus' response the same: He said, “I am willing,” and “Be healed!”.

The lesson for us in this passage is not so much that Jesus heals, but that, if we are in Christ, we will heal.

But, it is at this point that 'healing ministry' often veers far from Jesus' example. For some reason, those administering healing today are compelled to have lengthy prayer times as if to 'hear the Lord' on a matter they otherwise claim is settled. 

Question: So, if today's healers are so convinced the matter of healing is settled, why do they need to have their 'quiet time' in a lengthy or emotionally-charged prayer time before performing the miracle?

The answer is simple: It is because they have not sufficiently prepared in prayer (had their quiet time) in advance. Luke's account of this miracle reveals the truth to this end within the next two verses:

But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. [Luke 5.15-16]

When Jesus answered the man needing healing, “I am willing,” what He was saying was, "I have already prayed and I am thoroughly convinced of God's will on this matter for both you and Me. All that was left to do was touch the sick man and say, “Be healed!”

Now, let's dig deep about that prayer time in advance, shall we? Since there is such an overwhelming disconnect between healers today and Jesus, it makes sense that this prayer time in advance is where the work needs to be done.

What was it that Jesus prayed about in advance that gave Him such confidence to simply touch people and speak healing over them? It is not ironic that, in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading, we actually have a significant clue. This clue is found in another account of healing found in Mark 2, Matthew 9 and Luke 5. Let's look at it in Matthew's Gospel:

Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up and went home! Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for giving humans such authority. [Matthew 9.2-8]

Jesus indicated that healing and forgiveness are synonymous. So, what does that have to do with Jesus' prayer time in advance? It has everything to do with Jesus' prayer time in advance! If we consider what Jesus taught us to pray we will see exactly what He believed and practiced. Specifically:

and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. [Matthew 6.12]

Until our time is spent, like Jesus, in the regular prayer-practice of forgiveness, we will NOT be effective in ministering anything to anyone, and especially not healing! Want more proof?

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” [Mark 11.22-25]

Everyone wants folks be healed. Some are willing to pray for them to be healed on the spot. Few are willing to really put in the time praying in advance. But I dare say almost none have advanced their prayer to thorough and complete forgiveness ahead of time, evidenced by the overwhelming number of people who are prayed for that remain unhealed.

The kind of prayer that heals others is not easy prayer. In fact, it was on His Cross that Jesus is on record of saying, "Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing." (Luke 23.34). As Jesus prayed this prayer from His Cross, we should take this to heart when we consider His demand that we follow Him to our own cross:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

While our cross may mean a lot of things, it is undeniably our place of prayer to forgive others (the epitome of 'dying to self'). And, as the power of the Holy Spirit rests upon us, Jesus was very clear what that power will accomplish (even though men "choke" on this passage and the authority it assigns to Christ-followers):

Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” [John 20.21-23]

As much as I am convicted and convinced of the reality of gross, unchecked idolatry in our time, I am only further convinced that our modern idolatry finds its foothold in selfishness. Although selfishness is a lot of things, the very flagship for selfishness is unforgiveness toward others - regardless what they have done.

This is the Word of God and it is true whether we like it or not.

Father, I suppose no one knows unforgiveness like I do. I am a wretch of unforgiveness and it shows all over my life. I would ask You to forgive me, but Your Word is clear, I will only be forgiven to the extent that I forgive. May this wretched "God-damned" unforgiveness be ripped from my heart as I follow Jesus to my own cross and die daily to the demon of 'self' so that my life might be lived for others. May my life overflow with forgiveness for others as it is birthed in the wilderness of my prayer. So be it.