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Contact with the past and present healing:

Here are some stories starting from Jesus mission.

Jesus started his mission with baptism in the River Jordan, that nowadays is the division between Israel and the nation called Jordan. It was Jesus' cousin John that baptised him. After gaining reassurance, Jesus sets out into the dessert and reviews his strategy which is declared with these words: [NIV Luke 4] "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Jesus heals the wife of his friend and follower, Peter. [NIV Matthew 8] When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases".

Jesus heals an unknown passer bye: [NIV Luke 5] While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.

Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Jesus selected 12 disciples and his fame spread around the area.

[NIV Mark 3] Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.

John was captured by King Herod, and he worried about his cousin Jesus. [NIV Matthew 11] After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.

When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"

Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

People were happy about this healing. (NIV Luke 4] Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.

In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God!"

"Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

Jesus went about healing people and speaking about God's kingdom - where love rules - coming on earth. It ended when he was captured not by the King or the Romans, but by The Sanhedrin and their Temple guards. [NIV Matthew 26] Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. . . . The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

Finally two came forward and declared, "This

fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.' "

Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."

"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?"
"He is worthy of death," they answered.

Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?"

It is in an expression of love, that Christians pray for healing.

It is not a Christian that heals, but it is in the power of God - the God of love - that the pray is answered according to the situation at the time.

After Jesus was killed, the healings went on. [NIV Acts 3] One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Healing is not a process, but is an accepted form of showing intense compassion [NIV Acts 9] As Peter travelled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Healing has continued down from then onwards. As a result of people working together to understand how (in accordance with God's nature laws) illness works, medicines and effective treatments have been developed. Nowadays in Britain the benefit of this knowledge and ability is freely available to the sufferer at his or her point of need. In Jesus' time he healed many people freely. This widespread healing fulfils part of Jesus' prophecy. Jesus says [NIV John 14v12] I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

We can all pray to Jesus and ask for healing for our self and for others. To do so continues the work that Jesus showed us. Similarly Jesus gives peace makers the assurance that they will become Son of God [NIV Matthew 5v9]. Also [NIV Luke 5v35] But love your enemy, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the most high. And again [NIV John 12v36] Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of the light. And [John 8v12] When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.".

Reading further

More can be read about present day healing, as seen by the Church of England by reading:

"A Time to Heal" obtainable through many of its churches and Parish Offices. It is published by Church House Publishing.