Joel Siegel - Helping People Receive Healing

Introduction

P eople need healing .

We have a Healer.

Yet, theres often something missing: a vital link between God, our Healer, and the people who so desperately need His help. That link is you.

The power of God that drives sickness from a persons life must be delivered to that person. Although some individuals have learned to receive directly from their Heavenly Father, most will require help: someone who can skillfully connect Gods power to their lives. Without that help, many who need healing will go without. This book will help you become skillful in the area of healing. Its a training manual, helping you to help others.

We thank God for ministers those who may be specially anointed in the area of healing but their ministry, important as it is, is only part of the ministry of healing today. Although this book does address certain aspects of healing that pertain to those who occupy ministry offices, our main objective is to equip the entire Body of Christ from the new believer to those in full time ministry to do the job we were all born for. We must take healing with us wherever we go, covering the earth with Gods healing power.

01 He Healed Them

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them . Matthew 4:23-24

T he ministry of Jesus is amazing, and this passage summarizes it well. Listed here are the components that comprised His earthly ministry: teaching, preaching, and healing. All three are significant, yet it was His healing ministry upon which Matthew briefly expounds.

What began in Galilee quickly spread throughout Syria. So great were the results of His ministry that this passage says the people brought all the sick. Theres a statement for you: all the sick . If were to take the Bible at face value (which we must), this would have been quite a scene. One person after another each weakened from disease showed up along with those who accompanied them. Minor and severe, contagious and non-communicable, chronic and acute, they all came; they all needed help.

Those afflicted with various diseases and pains were there. The word translated here as pains has a strong meaning in the original language. It literally means tortured and tormented. In Jesus day, you didnt just get a prescription for pain medication when you were hurting. You suffered with your disease, and suffer they did. These tortured and tormented ones were among the healing seekers that had gathered. Imagine the cries, groans, tears, and even screams that could be heard as those in misery awaited ministry.

Who else came to Jesus for help? An interesting bunch to be sure. Those oppressed by demons were mingled among the multitude. Nothing makes a situation more colorful and creepy than the presence of people who are under the influence of devils. No doubt, some of these people were screaming outlandish statements with voices different than their own. Devils cant help but act out when theres a crowd. They love expression and attention.

The word translated as epileptic in verse 24 not only speaks of the disease of epilepsy, but also carries the additional meaning of those who were maniacs or insane. Add them in alongside those who were possessed and you have wacky and creepy together. Then, the paralytics were there. Stroke victims, people who were crippled from birth, those who had accidents, etc. They were all part of this diverse and very sick crowd. What a scene this was as the psych ward and the ER came together in the presence of Jesus.

What was the Masters strategy for dealing with such chaos? How did He handle the sense of disorder and confusion that must have prevailed? The Bible tells us what He did: He healed them .

Those three words ring aloud in my spirit. Say that phrase slowly and deliberately a few times: He healed them . No matter how far gone they were physically, how loopy they were mentally, or how depraved they were spiritually, the result was the same. He didnt rebuke them, didnt counsel them, and didnt deny them. He healed them. Not included but clearly implied is the word all . He healed all of them. Without exception. No one was excluded.

This didnt just happen one time, but was rather a common occurrence in Jesus ministry. Notice what happened a few chapters later.

Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all. Matthew 12:15

When this verse says many followed him , some clarification is required. The Greek word translated as many is the same word which would be translated as riot or the rabble . This was a massive crowd: multitudes of people from all walks of life. Rich people and poor people. The uneducated and the educated. Good people and not-so-good people. What did He do when they drew near to Him? He healed them. Again, no exceptions, no exclusion. Just healing. Healing for all.

And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus feet; and he healed them : Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel. Matthew 15:30-31 (KJV)

This account of the healing ministry of Jesus is most amazing. The extra-large crowd that had gathered included people with permanent disabilities. The lame individual (with parts of his or her body non-functioning) couldnt walk unassisted. The blind, obviously, couldnt see. The dumb couldnt speak. Then, it mentions the maimed . This would include those whose limbs were either permanently disfigured or missing.

Ive been fortunate to be around some great healing ministries, but Im sure Ive never witnessed anything like this. First, I cant imagine the scene on the road there. I dont know whether wheelchairs were a thing back then, but we can confidently assume that the journey there was slow-going. Multitudes, dragging along on crutches and being transported in carts, were clogging the roadways. It was a crawl but it would be worth it. (Contrast this scene to today, where people have easy access to transportation but cant be bothered to travel even a few miles to access their spiritual help.)