Issue 24 Towards HealingBlog | The puzzle of healing
The puzzle of healing
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 12.09.20
There is something of a puzzle about the importance of healing within Christian mission and ministry. Historically, the gospel has always been taken to new contexts along with a twin focus on education and health – the building of schools and hospitals. Education is no surprise, since the word ‘disciple’ means ‘someone who is learning’. But why the importance of health and healing? After all, there are large parts of Scripture where healing appears to play no part at all.
The ‘fall’ of humanity, depicted by Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3, sets out the terrible consequences of our alienation from God – though does not explicitly suggest the need for healing. But we see hints of a new perspective developing during the Exodus journey through the wilderness. Venomous snakes afflict the people because of their sinful grumbling, but they can look at the bronze snake held aloft by Moses and receive healing and forgiveness (Numbers 21:4-9).
SIN AND HEALING
Healing features in close association with sin in several of the prophets of Israel: ‘Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds’ (Hosea 6:1).
Here, the northern prophet Hosea imagines sinful Israel returning to the Lord in repentance for sins. It is clear from the rest of the chapter that the ‘wounds’ Israel has suffered are the judgement and condemnation by the prophets, sent from God, provoked by the people going after other deities.
Sin has caused the relationship between God and people to be broken, and it is this that needs healing.
