Healing in the New Testament

As you read this you will need to have your Bible handy. Don't take my word for this, search it out yourself.

I was introduced to healing as a reality in 1968. My dad was in a terrible car wreck back in Illinois. Mom called me and said he was near death so I hurried home from Cincinnati with Karen and our daughter, Julia.

Upon arrival, it was apparent that Dad was in a very bad way. When I asked the Doctor how he was, I received a coded message that he was going to die. Dr Alexander said, "Get hold of your brother in Korea and have him come home immediately."

The next day my elder brother Maury arrived from Maryland and we began to sit next to Dad's bed to keep him from pulling the tubes out of his body. As were sat and watched I also prayed fervently that God would touch Dad and spare his life. About 2:00 PM one the first day of Maury's visit I felt a release of the Holy Spirit in my body and I could see a definite response in Dad. His breathing eased and he relaxed. No longer did he try to pull the tubes out or thrash around on the bed. I knew that he was going to be OK.

Since 1968 I have pursued healing of the whole person; body, soul and spirit. I have seen God's love, truth and power bring many changes in the lives of people through ordinary believers. Below are some of the Bible passages that speak of the healing ministry of Jesus.

Matthew's summary (Matt 4:23-25, see also Mark 1:39)

This with Matt 9:35-38 forms a parenthesis around the sermon on the mount and a group of healing miracles in chapters 8 and 9. Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in Synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. Because his fame spread through Syria (bordering Galilee to N and W) people brought all who were ill with various diseases and he healed them. Specific things are mentioned: those suffering severe pain, demon-possessed, those having seizures and the paralyzed.

Matt 9:35 essentially repeats Matt 4:23 but continues with Jesus' compassion for the crowds because the were harassed and helpless. He commands his disciples to pray for more workers because the harvest is plentiful - a prayer to which they themselves are the answer as the sending out of the 12 with Jesus' authority follows immediately afterward (Matt 10:1 f)

If we were to take every verse associated with healing out of the Bible it would shrink by almost half. Jesus came into the world to save it and heal it. I cannot imagine any Christian ministry that fails to include healing prayers.