Heartprints

Jesus Heals All Disabled in Children’s Ministry?

Misconceptions, misinformation and misunderstandings can destroy someone like stepping on a land mind. Either they walk away wounded or killed. Having worked for an equestrian therapy ranch for two years, I witnessed families being destroyed by inaccurate and unhelpful counsel from friends, family and unkind strangers. I also have been to a church and read their literature stating that healing only comes to those who possess faith. This faulty logic leads to an understanding that if they are never healed, then they never possessed faith. Answering the following question is vital to set expectations of what is to come through disabilities: Did Jesus come to promise all disabled children would be healed?

Misconceptions, misinformation and misunderstandings can destroy someone like stepping on a land mind. Either they walk away wounded or killed. Having worked for an equestrian therapy ranch for two years, I witnessed families being destroyed by inaccurate and unhelpful counsel from friends, family and unkind strangers. I also have been to a church and read their literature stating that healing only comes to those who possess faith. This faulty logic leads to an understanding that if they are never healed, then they never possessed faith. Answering the following question is vital to set expectations of what is to come through disabilities: Did Jesus come to promise all disabled children would be healed?


Yes and maybe. Yes, eternally. Maybe, temporarily. Either way, we must understand that even when one is healed temporarily of a disease or disability, we (mankind) all have an end on this earth. Therefore, if my cancer were removed at twenty-three years of age, I still would die from old age in the end. Jesus temporarily healed people from sickness, disease and disability to validate his identity (Mark 1:1, the Christ) and message (Mark 1:15, the gospel). The ultimate proclamation Jesus was concerned was for people to believe his message of good news. Therefore, when someone would think, “Why should I believe Jesus?” A good response would be, “If Jesus controls people’s bodies, nature and all spiritual forces, then he must be the one to submit to, just as bodies, nature and the demons did!”

Jesus (1) casts a demon out of a man in a church (synagogue; Mark 1:21-28), (2) healed Peter’s mother-in-law from a deadly fever (Mark 1:29-31), (3) healed crowds of diseased and demon possessed people, (4) healed a bumpy, mucus filled, deteriorating flesh of a leper (Mark 1:40-45) and (5) enabled a paralytic to walk (Mark 2:1-12). Jesus did heal people, but not everyone, and only for the purpose of making the gospel message known to all people (Mark 1:44; 2:9). Therefore, we must not covet the healing, but the gospel message. The message of the gospel then informs us how to live with each other on the earth. The good news is that God loves us enough to send Jesus. Therefore, we are to love another, even when people are diseased, disgusting, dying or disabled.

Children’s ministry is to love children and their families two ways: (1) By teaching the gospel and (2) responding to the gospel by loving others through deeds – the ultimate example of faith and works. We can pray for healing, but we cannot heal. However, we can provide hugs, kind touches, smiles, tears, meals, donations, lives persevering with another, caring words, planning hospitable facilities, planning hospitable invitations to your home, and a willingness to share the load of life with others.

Note: Faith does not mean we automatically receive temporal, physical healing. Faith always has an object that it trust. Faith in Jesus means trust in Jesus. Therefore, faith in Jesus for healing only means that we trust Jesus to make the decision to heal or not heal our temporary diseases and disabilities. Jesus did promise eternal life through faith in him – trust in that eternal promise!

To be continued …

Further Reading:

The Trellis and the Vine

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This is part of the blog posts series from Missional Education on the gospel in children’s ministry.