Behaviors

Mark 2:41; Luke 7:13; Matt 8:3; Matt 20:34; Matt 14:14

In Matt 14:14, Jesus saw a great crowd,

‘and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.’

Did Jesus heal to prove that he was the Son of God? Probably yes. Did the apostles heal to prove their status? Probably yes (2 Cor 12:12).

But the main driver for Jesus’ healing is compassion; he had compassion on the people, a key characteristic of Jesus.

In Matt 20:34, Jesus healed two blind men because he had compassion on them. He raised the son of a widow because ‘he had compassion on her’ (Luke 7:13).

Compassion is love – agape love.

Compassion drove Jesus to heal. Compassion should be the DNA of a believer.

See also B265 – Be compassionate before judgement.

Mark 16:17-18; Acts 3:6; Acts 9:17; Acts 28:8-9;

In Mark 16:17, the Lord promised us that ‘these signs will accompany those who believe; in my name, they will cast out demons’, and in Acts 3:6, the Apostle Peter cured a paralytic.

Again, it was the same with Ananias who laid hands on the newly minted born-again convert, Paul to be healed of his sight (Acts 9:17) and Paul who healed the father of the governor of Malta (Acts 28:8).

1 Cor 12:9 says, ‘to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit’. Healing is a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit. How will we know whether we possess this gift?

Unless we practice that gift through the laying hands on the sick with boldness and humility.

Mark 8:22-26

In Mark 8:22-26, Jesus healed a man through a two-step process while in Luke 17:14, the lepers were asked to go and show themselves to the priests. Even as they were going, they were cleansed.

Sometimes, healing does not take place immediately.

In a 2013 reported healing of a boy from hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid builds up within the brain, the boy was healed over a period of two months through the ministry of a Singaporean multi-million dollar octogenarian, Gim Hock Thio.

Why does God heal some immediately while others take a while?

We don’t know but be prepared for healing to be a process rather than immediate.

Mark 9:29

Mark 9:29 says,

‘This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer (and fasting).’

Jesus was explaining to his disciples why they were unable to cast out a mute demon. Apparently, there are situations when it is difficult to get rid of a demon (or sickness?) in a person. And intensive prayer is needed.

The original Greek for ‘prayer’ is proseuche or prayer to God. Some versions added the word ‘fasting’ as well including the KJV and ISV.

James 5:16 says,

‘The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.’

Righteousness is an important prerequisite for activating a healing process. 

In intense situations, believers might have to up their firepower through prayer (and fasting).