Faith and Healing

The journey to Jerusalem continues in today’s lectionary gospel text. In a previous blog I talked about how the whole of the second half of the Gospel of Mark is the story of the journey towards crucifixion. The story continues with a lot of teaching en route, crowds have gathered, and a throng is now following in Jesus wake. 

 

Yet, the teaching was not easy, just prior to today’s passage there was the third prediction of Jesus’ death. Immediately came a request from James and John to sit beside Jesus “in glory”. Using this as a teaching opportunity, Jesus spoke about how those who want to be great must become servants. This was followed immediately by the text for today (10:46-52). It is the tale of the named beggar, Bartimaeus, who shouted out to Jesus requesting to receive sight. Ultimately, Bartimaeus was healed and became a follower.

 

 As I read this chapter, and re-read chapters 8 & 9, in an attempt to grasp the context, I have to ponder whether the spiritual is mirrored in the physical. This is not the first time in these chapters that a person has received the gift of physical sight. It was clear that in spite of previous teaching the disciples still hadn’t seen servanthood. They needed spiritual sight and revelation to understand what was being taught to them. The disciples needed spiritual sight, Bartimaeus needed physical sight. Maybe the healing was a lesson without words.

 

As an aside, for those who were present at the Theology School on Monday night. The chapters studied of Trible’s book God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality made much of how sight and the other senses were so prevalent at creation. I could not help but to ponder that along with this passage.

 

Yet, as I mused on it, perhaps the point that gave me the most to think about was the connection between faith and healing. The final words to Bartimaeus were, “Go, your faith has healed you” (52).

 

I can’t help but think how problematic those words have been for decades. The connection between faith and healing has caused many people feelings of inadequacy and not being good enough. It is a hard subject and one to which I have no answer. 

 

I have seen people healed divinely, without any medical intervention, but to be honest it does not happen very often. Or, at least, I have only seen it happen rarely. 

 

I have seen lots of people healed through medical interventions and procedures — through the skills of dedicated doctors, nurses, science and all others who are involved. Yet, for many of them it was not an either or. It is okay to invoke God and follow the advice of the medical profession.

 

However, I have heard it said that if people are not healed divinely it is because they have a lack of face. Many years ago, I was told by an older lady that if only people had enough faith they would never die. She, herself, expected that to be her reality — very sad.

 

In addition, I knew a person who was wheelchair bound. They dreaded it when their church had a visiting preacher — often choosing to skip the meeting. They told me that these meetings almost always included an altar call for a prayer for healing. Subsequently, she endured glances and comments about why her faith had not allowed her to walk — very sad.

 

I also have had more than one friend who has died from cancer. These were good, faith full individuals. In, one case someone approached me to tell me that if the person had enough faith then she would have been healed — very sad.

 

I think my thoughts began after I read on Facebook a post saying that people shouldn’t get vaccinated for COVID-19 as God would protect them because of their faith. Interestingly, after I had written this blog but before posting it, I was in the car listening to my favourite radio station (LBC-Leading Britain’s Conversation). There was a phone-in discussion about the governments new COVID regulations. People were phoning in with their thoughts. One guy phoned in to say he was against vaccination because he was a Christian and God would protect Christians. He was asthmatic and even the host urged him to rethink his position. 

 

Anyway, I think, the whole subject raised by the passage today is a very difficult one. Humanity is frail and ultimately all will die. When reading a text which highlights a link between faith and healing it should be handled with care. This text should not be used to make anyone who seeks immunization or medical intervention feel inadequate. 

 

So, I don’t want to deny the possibility of divine healing, at the same time, I want to be grateful for the skills and advances in medicine and science. As is often said, all truth is God’s truth.

Troublesome Texts

Today’s lectionary gave me a choice between two passages — Mark 10:17-31 (ordinary time) or Matthew 6:25-33 (harvest thanksgiving). I read both through a few times, waiting to see if I was gripped by a certain phrase or idea which is my normal practice.

 

They are, at first glance, very dissimilar. Yet as I read between them, I became aware of one similarity. Both passages contained commandments which seem to be impossible to follow. This intrigued me and gave rise to the question: How does one treat a Biblical commandment when it seems impossible to follow? What do we do with them? Do we disregard them? Do we strive towards meeting them? My mind was a whirl.

 

The first text focuses on how hard it is for those who are rich to enter the Realm of God. And, I think, in the developed world all are rich to some degree. The exhortation is that everything should be left to follow Jesus making it a very difficult text. And, if one is honest it is not one that most people take seriously. Even, those who take the scriptures in a fundamentalist or literal way have not followed this commandment in entirety. 

 

I look round our small community, everyone has somewhere to live, food to eat and people who are cared about. Personally, even with moving to a new country I have not followed this text to the letter. Although the move put physical distance between us, I did not turn away from parents, nor later from my children. It is very hard to hear this text even with the rider that if one takes that step it will be given back a hundredfold in this life — and the next.

 

In contrast the second story is a lovely comforting text. Jesus talks about the heavenly mother-father providing food and clothing. The exhortation is not to worry — in the text this specifically refers to earthly provisions essential to life. 

 

The text ends with if one strives first for the Realm of God all these will be given to the follower (33), As an aside, this verse has always sat uncomfortably with me. In the developed world many countries having social care systems and charitable organisations which provide at least a basic safety net to those in desperate need. This allows the text to be read with a certain amount of ease. However, how would it feel reading or hearing this in an area stricken with famine and drought, where one watches their children starve to death, where the ravishes of poverty are seen, where medical attention is non-existent. I wonder what it would feel like if this verse was proclaimed in one of those areas. At the very least, maybe feelings of worthlessness and abandonment by God.

 

But for today I want to remain with “do not worry”. At first reading the worries in the Gospel feel quite minor as they are dressed up in lovely images of birds and flowers. Somehow, this has become a “pretty” text and because of this is read with a smile and the thought of how lovely. Because of this domestication the impact has been lost. This is a text about (in Maslow’s terms) survival needs. The most basic human needs without which life is incompatible. The impact of this text cannot be underestimated.

 

Yet not worrying seems impossible — and I’m not talking about the healthy worry which is part of the human system designed to prevent harm. I’m talking about worries that many, If not all, people face regularly. 

 

When I worry, I know that worrying does not change the situation, but somehow my body and mind still react. Eventualities and situations cycle through the mind, butterflies form in the stomach sometimes even trembling can occur. 

 

Although, our worries in contemporary times may be different than those in the first century they are no less real. I find, that try as I may, I have no ability to stop worrying. I am not an over-anxious sort of person. So, I’m not saying that every bit of every day I am consumed with worry. I am merely saying that sometimes a circumstance occurs that causes me to worry.

 

I want to be real here and say that no matter how hard I try, worry still sneaks in. 

 

Therefore, I find both of today’s passages troublesome. They are texts that contain very serious exhortations — leave everything behind and do not worry. These are hard, if not impossible, to do. I do not want to spiritualize these texts in an attempt to minimalise them. That feels less than honest.

 

I have no conclusion about how to handle these two and other troublesome texts. Just a couple of thoughts —

 

My first thought is that I can think about these texts using a redemptive-movement hermeneutic. They are stages on a journey which is ever changing and developing. A command to give to the poor and leave everything is being replaced by hearts of generosity.

 

My second thought is that these texts should never be used to produce guilt either in oneself or in others. I don’t feel guilty that I have a house, family, food on the table. I am grateful for all I have and rejoice that I can share with others. 

 

Anyway, a lot of musing to do this week!