Mark ch 10 v 46 The Healing Power Of God
On the way to Jerusalem we find this unique story, as we look at the healing of Bartimaeus, we will ask and answer two questions. Can God heal you? Can Jesus heal you? Secondly, Will Jesus heal you?
Our passage deals with healing, specifically physical healing – a blind man receives his sight.
But I want to expand our definition of healing to include other physical healings – diseases, injuries, illnesses; as well as emotional wounds, and even relationships.
When I ask “can God heal you,” this is what I mean. ……Can God heal your body, your mind, your relationships.
Let’s take a closer look at our passage, Mark 10:46. Can God heal your body?
If you are ill, can He make you (or your spouse, or your parent, or your child) well?
Can God cure your depression, relieve your addiction, restore your emotional well-being?
Can God heal what has happened in your marriage, or with your parents?
Our story says He healed Bartimaeus
As Jesus approached Jerusalem, Bartimaeus heard him coming and cries out for his attention. Jesus asks him what he wants, and Bartimaeus says he wants to see. …In v. 52 we see Jesus’ response: Your faith has made you well. Immediately he received his sight.
Throughout Mark, we have see Jesus heal people: He has healed people with leprosy, paralyzed, shrivelled hand, internal bleeding, demon-possession, etc.
Mark 1:34: “…Jesus healed many who had various diseases.”
Ex. 15:26: “I am the Lord, who heals you.”
Ps. 103:2-3: “Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
Ps. 147:3: “He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.” The OT is full of examples.
Not only in the OT times and in Jesus’ times, but after:
Acts 3:1-8; 4:9-10 – a crippled man healed in Jesus’ name.
Acts 5:14-16 – the apostles healed many.
Acts 28:7-9 – Many are healed through Paul on Malta.
James 5:14-16 – people should expect to be healed.
The Scriptures make it clear that God can heal people. But not only that, there’s more:
Our experience says he can heal.
You are surrounded by people who would say they have been healed by God. Here is one such story.
Our God is not powerless, He is powerful, and able to heal. Our God is not distant, but near to us, and able to heal. GOD IS MORE THAN ABLE TO HEAL your body, your mind, your broken heart. God can heal you. Can you believe this?
There is another crucial question: Will God heal you?
Its one thing to say God can heal you, another to say He will heal you. Does God want to heal you?
Many of us labour under burdens of un-received healing. Under what circumstances, conditions, will God heal you? read vv. 46-48.
Receiving healing involves faith. As soon as he hears Jesus is coming, he begins to shout. He had obviously heard of Jesus, and was convinced that He could help him. He cries out, shouts, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ……………we hear this cry in Psalms (4:1; 6:2; 41:4,10; 51:1; 123:3).
This is an expression of faith. …He believes Jesus can help….Not spur of the moment faith, he’d been thinking of it….And when the crowd, , tells him to be quiet, he just gets louder…He is persistent.
This is a characteristic of faith. Faith is involved.
Notice Jesus’ response in vv. 49-52. Jesus engages him to establish the existence of his faith, and to strengthen it by having him express it. Bartimaeus acknowledges Jesus is able to make blind men see.
Whenever we have a detailed description of Jesus healing someone, we see the involvement of faith
God can heal you, and you should come to Him in faith. Faith is involved in healing.
Some say it is automatic – if you have enough faith, God will heal you,
But this isn’t the case. There are instances in the Scripture where people are healed regardless of their faith. And, there are times when you can have faith and not receive healing.
Healing involves more than faith,
Receiving healing involves God’s will. Its possible to have plenty of faith, but if it is not God’s will there will be no healing. Bartimaeus received his sight not just because he had faith, but because it was God’s will. “What do you want me to do for you?”
“I want to do this ……..– in response to your faith.”
John tells us “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)
Sometimes, even though He is able, He does not, because it is not His will. Why not?
If God is loving and powerful, why wouldn’t He? How do we know if its God’s will?
In 2 Cor. 12:7-10, Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh” that he pleaded with God 3 times to remove, but He didn’t. Why? Because Paul’s pain had a purpose: In his weakness he is strong. This requires us to trust Jesus. And we can trust Him, because He will only give us what we ask if it is good, best for us.
And since He is God, He is in the best position to determine this.
If I believe God can, and I trust Him to know best, I make Him God, not just a genie.
Will God heal you?
GOD WILL HEAL YOU, WHEN YOU COME IN FAITH AND IN LINE WITH HIS WILL
Come today and ask for healing if you need it
Come today and seek God’s will for your healing
News from the Church New dates
18th March…. Knit and natter is a time to finish old projects or learn new skills
if you just want to talk well that’s OK too
1st April..…..Friendship Group, (this covers all ages and the lonely people)
ANSWERS TO 8th March QUESTIONS
1) John and Romans 2) After 3) In Jerusalem 4) Matthias 5)Speaking in tongues 6) He would come again 7) About 3000 8) Healed him 9) They died immediately 10) Stoned 11) Saul (Paul)
12) Philip 13) An Ethiopian Eunuch 14) Isaiah 15) What hinders me from being Baptized
16) He was whisked away by the Spirit
Bible Quiz this week’s Quiz is about Saul/Paul and Peter
1 Where did Saul meet Jesus?
2 How long was he blind before he could see again?
3 In Joppa, Peter raise who from the dead?
4 In a vision, Peter was told to rise and eat. What was Peters reply?
5 In which City were they first called Christians?
6 What did the people answer Rhoda when she said Peter was knocking on the door?
7 Who did they send out as the first 2 missionaries?
8 What hour of the night did Paul and Silas pray and sing hymns while in prison?
9 What happened when they sang?
10 What was the Jailor about to do?
11 What did the Jailor ask Paul and Silas?
12 What was their reply?
13 Where did Paul see an alter to the unknown god.?
14 Who was the goddess of the Ephesians?
15 Who said “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian”?
16 On Meleta when Paul was gathering sticks what happened to him?
God Bless