Come forth! part 3

Mark 6:5 “And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them.” 

The word “miracle” and the word “heal” are both used in this verse. Jesus did not do a miracle in their midst but He did heal some. You have heard me say many times that there is a difference between these two items. The word “healed” in this verse is the Greek word, therapeuo (ther-ap-yoo'-o). It’s where we get the word therapy from. But there are deeper meanings to the word. It also means to wait upon someone to relieve them of disease. The picture it paints would be like a nurse or a mom – one who waits on someone to relieve them of disease.

Miracle, however, has a quite different meaning than healed. MIRACLE is the word dunamis (doo'-nam-is) which means force. It’s where we get the word dynamite or power from. A miracle rarely relates to what the word healing means. Many of the times when we read of Jesus praying for someone and healing them, it doesn’t really relate to something that happens in an instant. It relates to a healing that comes through the natural process of time – therapy. Jesus calls those things that are not as though they were, so when Jesus prayed for them, He called them healed even if it took some time for it to take place. 
 

A miracle, though, is something much different than a healing. A miracle is instant – it violates the natural order of things (whereas therapy follows the natural order of things). Miracles are powerful. Many times we are asking God for a healing when we really need a miracle. If I break my finger and ask God to heal it – then it will gradually get better, because all healing comes from God. But if I take my broken finger and present it to the Lord and it is instantly healed, that is a miracle. 

Jesus didn’t do any miracles because of their unbelief but out of His mercy He did a few healings. Healings are not so controversial because people don’t have to believe they come from God. You can go to your doctor and proclaim that Jesus healed you and he’ll condescendingly agree with you until you leave the room. However, miracles force them to consider the fact that Jesus is Lord. 
 

So it’s one thing to not believe as a non-believer. But when believers struggle with believing – that complicates the matter. In the case of the non-believer, they are dealing with believing for their salvation. With the believer, our struggles come with believing for miracles - not our salvation (we have already believed for that). 
 

I’m going to cite two instances in the chapters we have read from so far. The first has to do with our main passage for this week’s study. John 11:21 “Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’”  Then, VS 32, “Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.’”     

Continued tomorrow