The other day I was watching The Chosen (s3e5). In speaking to the woman with the issue of blood, who was healed after touching the fringe of His garment, Jesus says, “It wasn't my piece of clothing that healed you... it was your faith.”
Hearing this, I knew the verse that was being paraphrased:
“Daughter,” he said, “your faith has delivered you. Go, and peace be with you; be free from your affliction.”
Mark 5:34 (OEB)
Some translations use the phrase, “your faith has healed you.”
Others use the phrase, “your faith has made you well.”
It's a fairly common biblical phrase that Jesus uses multiple times.
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Woman with blood: (Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34, Luke 8:48)
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Blind man: (Mark 10:52, Luke 18:42)
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(One of) Ten lepers: (Luke 17:19)
In all my times reading and hearing the line (this was my second time seeing this Chosen episode) it never stood out like it did this time.
Previously, I've always breezed over this verse. Jesus healed someone, said it was because of their faith, sounds good, move on.
But that's not what He says.
Your faith has delivered you.
Your faith has healed you.
Your faith has made you well.
Jesus didn't deliver them.
Jesus didn't heal them.
Jesus didn't make them well.
It was their own faith that made the difference.
Now, before you start gathering your kindling to burn me at the stake for being a heretic. Read it. Am I not accurately describing what is said, multiple times, by Jesus? Am I misunderstanding the plain reading of His words?
I don't think I am.
All I am doing differently is choosing to not jump through hoops that bend the text to fit a predefined meaning.
If you start with the framework that only Jesus, or the power of Christ can heal, than sure I'm proposing something contrary to that.
If you let the text say what it says... Just maybe, all it takes to see change is a little faith.
“For, I tell you, if your faith were only like a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain ‘Move from this place to that!’ and it would be moved; and nothing would be impossible to you.”
Matthew 17:20 (OEB)
Now, I must admit, I did slightly buried the lead. I added something somewhere that doesn't quite fit. I said, “If you start with the framework that only Jesus, or the power of Christ can heal, than sure I'm proposing something contrary to that.”
I should have said, “If you start with the framework that only Jesus can heal, then sure I'm proposing something contrary to that.”
It is completely consistent to say that only the power of Christ can heal, and that it is an individual's faith that makes them well.
And, if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives within you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life even to your mortal bodies, through his Spirit living within you.
Romans 8:11 (OEB)
You are Love.