Holistic Healing
“Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are set free from your ailment.’ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the Sabbath day.’ But the Lord answered him and said, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?’ When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.”
—Luke 13:10-17
Observation & Application:
When I read the gospels I see sickness, infirmity, blindness, dumbness, and physical handicaps linked to sin and demonic affliction on a regular basis. It is almost normative that Jesus’ healing miracles are linked to liberation from sin and demonic affliction. But this notion of demonic sickness almost seems like nonsense to our modern sensibilities. With our doctors and diagnosis, we attribute illnesses of every kind to scientific reasons that we can cure or at least medicate. But if we are to be faithful to the gospel text then we have to accept that at least some infirmities and physical handicaps are caused by demonic affliction. A friend of mine says that he has not been sick for seventeen years and the idea of illness offends his redeemed and spirit-filled sensibilities. He would say, “When God saves us he saves us holistically.” It is interesting that the Greek word, sōzō, is translated with the words to save and to heal. The word itself presents a holistic idea of salvation and healing, when the definitions are kept together and not separated by English translation.
If sin is what brought sickness and infirmities into this creation, then logically one would have to conclude that when Jesus dealt with sin on the cross he also dealt with sickness. Thus the concept of salvation, or better put the reality of salvation, becomes a holistic healing of mind, body, and soul. So the question that this conclusion begs, in my opinion, is what are the implications for how we understand and live out our faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection?
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your healing touch in this world. Lord, thank you for your work on the cross. Lord, help me to have a holistic understanding of your salvation/healing. In Jesus name I pray Amen…
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