The Gospel of Luke is filled with stories of Jesus doing extraordinary things. He speaks to nature and nature obeys. He speaks to death and death flees. He speaks to illness and illness becomes wellness. What is going on?! It is the Kingdom of God being manifested in the midst of the kingdom of this world. Darkness is being overcome by light, evil by good, brokenness by restoration. It is an awe inspiring display of God’s grace.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could capture it in a bottle and then pour it over our lives? In a way, that is precisely what some people purport to do. An entire industry of “faith” healers and dealers has people thinking that this is the end for which Jesus came. What is missing when you listen to the leading proponents of this industry is the message of hope preached by the apostles. For the apostles, it is the hope of eternal life that has been promised. For the salesmen of earthly bliss, Jesus’ death and resurrection are the means of releasing God’s power so you can live your best life now. But the healings and deliverances accomplished by Jesus (or in his name by others) are integrally linked to the full restoration that we anticipate at the end of the age, the salvation for which all creation groans. That is the end to which the miracles we read of (and may even experience) are to point. They are not an end in themselves.
That being said, in our day to day lives we are confronted with the fallenness of the world in ways less dramatic than overwhelming storms and incurable diseases. Nevertheless, we can feel as helpless as Jairus before the corruption of creation (Luke 8:40-42). What can we do? We can do what Jairus did, and reach out to Jesus in faith. Knowing that Jesus has lived in our skin, we can have confidence that he understands our plight. We can hear his assuring words, “Do not fear, only believe,” and know that his eternal power will sustain us through every trial. Remember, as children of the covenant, we know that nothing can “snatch us” from the Father’s hand (John 10:29). As children of the covenant, we can receive the blessing, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (Luke 8:48)
