When the mind is in turmoil, healing is the betterment of this mental situation. The Scripture records incidents wherein healing occurs naturally and also miraculously. It is God who heals all our diseases (Psalm 103: 3; Acts 3: 12 – 16). Even though medical science has advanced drastically nowadays, it is still God who works through it. Healing through faith is a healing that is attained without any external means. Since all healing comes from God, there is no point in calling healing through faith as Godly healing. Spiritual healing brings the spirit to healing and not the body. Miraculous healing occurs through the working of the power of God. Like the other miracles in the Scripture, healing was also a sign. The aim of healing is theological and not medical. There were many disabled people at the shore of Bethesda but only one got healed (John 5:3). This alone is needed to teach the spiritual truth. If Jesus’ aim was to heal the sick then He would’ve healed everybody there. Healing is complete restoration of health and also soundness of both body and spirit. Through medical science a natural healing can be received. Even if a person doesn’t get healed physically, a change of perspectives to the world and surrounding is also a healing. Right from the beginning the Godly nature of healing is evident. From the time that God gave Israelites the covenant -“I am the Lord, who heals” (Exodus 15: 26), He has healed His people many a times. This is seen in different places in Psalms ( Psalm 103: 3; 107: 20; 147:3), book of the prophets (Jer. 33:6; Isaiah 53: 3-5; 57: 18, 19; Mal. 4:2) and the New Testament. Healing ministry is evident in Jesus’ public ministry and also the works of the Apostles. Finally, Bible ends with the vision that John has about a tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the nation (Rev. 22: 2).

Godly healing is complete healing.

1. Healing for the body (Psalm 103: 3; 1 Peter 2: 24; Isaiah 53: 5)
2. Healing for the mind (Psalm 147: 3)
3. Healing for the spirit (Hosea 14:4). This means a healing from backsliding.
4. Healing for the nation (2 Chronicles 7: 14). A healing is necessary for our nation and political situation.
5. Healing in relationships (Ephesians 2: 13- 15). A healing that should take place in the families and friendships.

Here we mention certain reasons for sickness:

• Man’s sin is a main reason. Many ill actions invite sickness. Misusing our freedom and leading a wayward life calls in sickness not just to one person but to a whole society. (Isaiah 59: 1,2; Romans 1: 24-27; 1 Corinthians 11: 28, 29, 30; Col. 1: 15)
• It is with God’s knowledge that Paul was given a thorn in his flesh. It is to keep him from being conceited is what he says (2 Corinthians 12: 7-9). Again, it is with God’s knowledge that Job got sick (Job chapter 1, 2).
• It is said that sickness can occur through the powers of the devil. Luke writes about Jesus releasing a woman who was crippled for eighteen years by an evil spirit (Luke 13:11). With evil powers like this, sickness can happen.
• In today’s situation, through atmospheric pollution sickness can happen. Innocent children to the aged are slaves to many deadly diseases. God ordained man to take care of the world ( Genesis 2: 15). But man exploited it to the core. Because of him its stability is challenged. Our water is contaminated and so is our land. Streams, rivers, pools, springs, wells have all disappeared. Air has been polluted. Our food and vegetables contain harmful substances and pesticides. Man is now affected by its results. On the one side, even though environmentalists raise their voices, on the other hand, our world is going from wickedness to wickedness and wrong to wrong. And so pollution is a cause for many sicknesses.

Israelites were keen in maintaining their health and cleanliness. Even though, during Moses’ time, the Israelite laws for sanctity and the means of treatment of the Jews were far superior than that of any nation, all these are seen scattered throughout the Pentateuch or ‘five books’ of the Bible. If they were not careful about cleanliness, they wouldn’t have overcome the journey through the desert. Included in the law are health maintenance, water distribution, sewage disposal, inspection and selection of food and the control of epidemic diseases. Commands such as burn the bull’s offal outside the camp (Exodus 29: 14) is for the prevention of the spread of diseases. People with certain diseases were made to reside separately for forty days ( Leviticus 12: 1-4). Because of this certain contagious diseases did not affect the Jews.

1. The God who Heals (Exodus 4: 10-17)
Right from the beginning the Godly character of healing is evident. As mentioned earlier, from the time that God gave Israelites the covenant-“I am the Lord, who heals” (Exodus 15: 26), He has healed His people many a times. God chose Moses to deliver the Israelites. He knew that Moses was slow in speech and tongue (Exodus 4: 10). But God still called the very same Moses for a big ministry. “The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”(Exodus 4: 11, 12), this was God’s promise to Moses. Thus the weak Moses was strengthened. The scriptures call us to not to be shattered in life even in weaknesses.

2. Jesus who Heals (John 9: 1-7)
Jesus’ healing ministry is very important in His public ministry. Jesus said that a man is born blind not because he or his parents sinned but for the work of God to be displayed in his life. The disciples doubt was ‘who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ But God healed him saying that it was for the work of God to be revealed in him. God’s name is glorified in many ways. Here we see the healing hand of God.

3. Healing in Weakness (2 Corinthians 12: 1-10)
Here, the grace that gives strength even in weakness is evident. What happened here is not a release from sickness but a healing in sickness. We should be able to see such experiences as an answer to our prayers. Can we say ‘Jesus Your grace is sufficient for me’? Paul prayed three times for the thorn in his flesh to be removed (2Cor. 12:7). But God did not give him a solution instead he said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. (2 Cor. 12: 9).

Translation : Neena Kishor, Ph.D Scholar, Department of English, University of Kerala