Healing is Possible – Recognize These Keys

When Jesus healed, there were always factors in place that made it possible. Some were unchanging, others were varied from situation to situation. Once again, in this story we see these factors as well as two major themes: humility and desperation; authority and power.

Here’s the story

So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.

So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”

The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.”

The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”

The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

John 4:46–54 (ESV)

Healing, humility and desperation

These two are very closely linked.

Humility is recognizing your place. We know that we have limited power and are frequently victims of circumstance. When we are honest with ourselves, we acknowledge that we need help with life. There are difficulties and decisions that are beyond the scope of our experience. And, certainly, healing is one of those.

Humility is an attitude of life, not a result of circumstance.

Desperation is the point of helplessness when you recognize your only hope. In this story it is filled with faith and hope. The man was driven to Jesus, his only hope, because his son was at the point of death.

Healing, authority and power

These two are nearly the same.

Power is the raw resources in order to perform some task. It includes the strength, energy and ability to do something. We all have a limited amount and a wide variety (physical, verbal, influence) of power.

Authority is the legitimacy to wield power. This means not only strength but opportunity and the legitimate right to apply power to a situation or circumstance.

Jesus consistently displayed not just power but the authority to use that power in all circumstances. Healing was one of the most profound expressions of Jesus’ authority.

In this story we see a man, an official, with humility and desperation driven to Jesus for the healing of his son. We also see Jesus, with authority and power to heal not with a touch or a prayer but a word of assurance to the father.

How these things come together for us

We have authority and power in prayer!

Particularly when we pray in the will of God and pray in agreement, the power of God is released to answer those requests. Jesus reminded his disciples that we live under the authority of God. As long as we continue under that authority, we have a portion of it to use for his purposes and glory.

We also have desperation and humility in prayer!

God is our only hope in every matter of eternal importance. He is often our only hope in matters of temporal importance as well. We have power and access to God only through his grace. It is essential to humble ourselves under that reality.

In order to experience personal healing, we must fully embrace the reality of where we stand (humility and desperation) and who God is (power and authority). Then we can approach him with the right heart and attitude.

God himself is desperate in certain circumstances!

He is desperate for a relationship with us. As his highest creation he longs for fellowship. The Bible records his many efforts to establish and maintain that relationship with us. He sent the prophets to proclaim his truth and final he sent his Son to die for us.

A different appeal

He is still desperate for all the lost sheep around us. We need to have that same desperation. We are called upon to imitate God – join in a desperate cry for those who are lost and struggling!

As I teach through all that Jesus said and did, I would love to hear lessons you have learned from Jesus. You can read lessons about faith from Jesus right here. More about healing is right here.