Physician, Heal Thyself

Well-known faith healers, used by God to heal multitudes, had their share of sickness and trouble ... Kathryn Kuhlman died at the age of 68 following open-heart surgery; Smith Wigglesworth died of a stroke at age 65; John Alexander Dowie died of a stroke at age 60; and Aimee Semple McPherson died of an accidental overdose complicated by kidney failure, at the age of 54.

I was healed miraculously of an incurable disease 8 years ago, but I still have my occasional share of the common cold or viral infection, and each time the sickness takes its course and I recover in a few days. Does this mean that Jesus does not heal? Absolutely not! In James 5:14 we're told that when we lay hands on the sick and pray the prayer of faith that the sick will recover. I've recovered from every one of these illnesses, proof enough for me that Jesus heals! The Bible is TRUTH; God cannot lie; and I love what Bill Johnson said in response to someone not getting healed: "It would be tragic for us to use an example for which we have no explanation to cancel the clear mandate given and modeled to us by Jesus. Mystery is important, otherwise there's no reward for making the right choice."

We must continue to operate in faith, believe for every healing, and trust that God is sovereign and in complete control. Do not let sickness (yours or someone else's) make you doubt the healing power of Jesus.

The phrase, "Physician, heal thyself" is a proverb found in Luke 4:23, "Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'"

The usual interpretation of this passage is that, during the "Rejection of Jesus," Jesus expected to hear natives of his hometown of Nazareth use this phrase to criticize him. Matthew 27:42 - "He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him."

Jesus could have come down from the cross; He could have called ten thousand angels to his side; but Jesus will never conform to the taunts of man to violate the will of God. Let's be careful to not discourage faith healers from acting on what the Bible says, even when they themselves become sick.