Isn't it time we started doing what Jesus did?

Hover over the references to see the Biblical text

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I just read a post that got me thinking about God's power in our lives. I put a comment at the end of the post, but I'm repeating it here (with some corrected grammar) because I think I managed to articulate some of my current thinking more clearly than I have until now.

Shouldn't we be powerful? That's the thought I'm struggling with these days.

The disciples knew they had no strength in and of themselves. But they had power. They knew they were only human. But they raised the dead, healed the sick, and cast out demons. They duplicated the day to day ministry of Jesus, which is, after all, what a disciple is supposed to do—imitate their master. And they didn't just do that while he was with them but after his ascension as well. Acts 5:12 says, "Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles" (ESV). Verse 16 says, "Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed." That sounds a lot like the descriptions of what Jesus had been doing.

And Jesus told the disciple to make other disciples. Surely that implies those second-generation disciples should also duplicate Jesus' day to day ministry. This too we see in the Bible. Stephen, for example was not one of the twelve but, "full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6:8 ESV). Philip was also not one of the twelve, but we are told this about his ministry: "And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed" (Acts 8:6-7 ESV).

Then in James we are told that healing should be expected: "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven" (James 5:15 NIV).  But our expectation that God will not heal is so profound that we translate James' words more comfortably: "And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (James 5:15 ESV). The Greek verb expressed in "make the sick person well" (NIV) and in ”save the one who is sick" (ESV) is sozo, which can reasonably be translated either way, but it doesn't make much sense in the context of praying for healing to have it mean "save."

So, Jesus "went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him" (Acts 10:38 NIV), and the disciples did the same (as described above), and it was normative in the Church (see also 1 Corinthians 12). But what about us? I'm not seeing this kind of power in my life, but I think my life is the aberration, not what is described in Scripture.

I would suggest our rhetorical defense—that because God is sovereign we cannot tell him what to do—ignores the evidence of Scripture rather than elucidating it. I would argue that it is very clear in the New Testament that it is God's will to heal. Jesus told us to pray for God's kingdom to come, and he also associated healing with that same kingdom: "Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you'" (Luke 10:9 NIV); "But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Luke 11:20 NIV); "As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." (Matthew 10:7-8 NIV). And, returning to my initial observation, we're supposed to be disciples. That means we're supposed to copy Jesus.

Jesus sent no one away, never told them they had too little faith (although he did say that to his disciples), never said they needed to repent before he'd heal them, never said the Father was teaching them some lesson through their sickness, and never said their sickness was "unto death." He healed every person who came to him asking for healing.

If we're powerless, perhaps we're not disciples. I suggest we do something about that—something other than build theological excuses. After all, "the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power" (1 Corinthians 4:20 NIV).

I know it's embarrassing, and I see no way to avoid the conclusion that we are abysmal failures in this area. At least, that is my analysis of myself, and I imaging we are much alike. But how long are we going to carry on this way?

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