Reflections on the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, July 1st, 2012: “Your Faith Has Made You Well” (Mark 5:21-43)

Dear Christian Friends,

The Gospel text in Mark 5:21-43 connect faith to healing:

1. Before Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead, Jesus comforts the father who is begging Jesus for help. Jesus said to Jairus: “Do not fear, only believe (verse 36).” In response to Jairus’ call to Jesus driven by his faith in Jesus, Jesus answered that call of faith and raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead.

2. This connection between faith and healing is only reinforced in the section right in the middle of the story of Jairus and his daughter; vss 24-34 that records the account of the woman who had been suffering from a condition of a severe flow of blood for 12 years. She touched Christ’s garment. In response to realizing that power had gone out from Him on account of the woman touching Him, Jesus sees the woman and says to her: “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease (v 34).”

There is little doubt that Scripture ties faith and healing together. However, there is more to the Scriptural revelation. While Jairus’ daughter and the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years both received the grace of God and were healed, there were others who also received the grace of God, but were not healed (at least not physically)! For example:

1. St. Paul had great faith, but we see that in 2nd Timothy 4:20 Paul had to leave Trophimus at Miletus because of his illness. Why didn’t Paul just pray over him and physically heal him?

2. Paul himself suffered a debilitating handicap, a thorn in the flesh, that was not taken from him despite his many prayers (2 Corinthians 12:8).

3. St. Paul also encouraged St. Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach malady (1st Timothy 5:23). In other words, his stomach problems were not eliminated in this case through faith and prayer.

This is an interesting state of affairs, and it forces us to avoid simplistic approaches to the Word of God. There is of course, no doubt that every good and perfect gift comes from the LORD (James 1:17); and there is no doubt that in every case of physical healing, we know the LORD is responsible for it in accord with His boundless grace.

But the fact is that the LORD desires to do what is best for us, and through us what is best for our neighbor. If we encounter a disease or injury, the LORD has made us to desire wholeness and to desire healing. He knows of course that we want healing…He designed us that way. Furthermore, we are invited to ask Him for all that we need and for that matter, what we desire so long as it does not conflict with the will of God. So, yes of course, when we have need for healing, we should pray boldly and ask for healing!  When I say “be bold,” I am not exaggerating. We need to pray as children of the Heavenly Father confident of His love and favor! Consider this word from Psalm 145:19: “He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.”

The complete witness of Scripture, however, teaches us that “healing” comes in many forms. Certainly, through the blood of Christ and through His glorious resurrection, we look forward to the total and complete healing of our bodies, souls, and minds. The day is coming when at the Great Resurrection, our bodies will be radiant, full of strength, and the epitome of perfect health. For now, however, what is best for us and our service in the kingdom may not necessarily be optimal physical healing.

Again, this doesn’t mean we should not ask the LORD in faith to heal us; nor does it mean that anything is too hard for Him and while there are interesting theological arguments in favor of cessationism, I personally don’t see any reason why we should ever be surprised at the LORD’s miraculous intervention.

Still — and again — there are other times when the Lord quite simply says, “No,” to our requests and when He does we need to remember that we may receive strength in ways we may not have anticipated. There have been many fantastic witnesses of the Lord’s help over the years in pastoral ministries, but among my favorites are Shirley Edwards (who I served at St. John’s, Covina, CA) and Mildred Oglesby (who I served at Living Word, The Woodlands, TX). They suffered tremendous debilitating physical conditions and yet, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and powerful in their ministry to others. In fact, I would say that these woman were “healthier” than most people in better physical conditions. The Lord displayed His love, service, and joy through these women who suffered so.

So, at the end of the day, yes, we should pray for healing, and yes, we should know as our Gospel in Mark 5 teaches that great blessings flow from the LORD in connection to faith in Him! At the same time, may our hearts be open to His work; may we trust in Him, and may we remember that no matter what, these words are true because Christ has already won for us the greatest healing, namely the forgiveness of sins through His blood: “your faith has made you well; go in peace!” (Mark 5:34) This is true insofar as the One who is held to by faith is Jesus Christ who prayed for His own deliverance from His cup of excruciating suffering, but then said in faith that He desired to fulfill God’s will…and then He did…and when He did, you my dear friend received the greatest healing because “with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).”

In Your Service and To Christ’s Glory,

Dr. Espinosa

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