Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Boilerplate

I’m Harold Dykstra.  I’m retired, but I go to food bank distributions all over Tracy and talk to people that need someone who will listen to their story.  My time is well spent.  A police lieutenant suggested that I write down the conversations that I had with an angel.  I did not know she was an angel at the time.  The angel, for a little over a year, indwelled a life-sized posable action figure my children bought me, so that I would not be perceived as travelling alone.  And in a way, she was training me for what I do while talking to the needy.  She probed my heart to find out what I believed and how I express love for others.  She changed my life.

In her leaving, she said someone would come.  I had thought that was Jesus, in His second coming, but a new Babs, a little older, the model for the posable action figure arrived.  While I had no desire to start over with romance, Morrie helped her move in, thinking she was the other Babs who had returned.

This Week’s Question

Last week, Babs and I looked at the things Jesus said from the cross.

This week Babs was concerned about all the people who needed healing in our small church, but more concerned about how Matthew and Madison had the flu.

Babs sighed, “Harold, I don’t know if me joining the prayer team was a good idea.  We are members of a fairly small church, but we have a lot of people who have illnesses that I have never heard of.  A lot of those illnesses have no cure.  I know God still performs miracles, but there are so many, and God does not heal everyone.  Are our prayers in vain?”

I said, “Babs, let’s tackle the praying in vain, before we go into the healing.  ‘Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain’ (1 Corinthians 15:58). ‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.’ (1 John 5:15). ‘As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.’ (Isaiah 55:11).  The last of those is God’s word will not return empty, but that applies to all His promises that he listens to every prayer that is spoken from the heart.  That does not mean He always answers in the affirmative.  And the best healing of all is to die and be with the Lord.”

Babs said, “But Harold, some of the cancer patients that we pray for are teenagers, a couple of little children who have never started kindergarten.  How is them dying a good thing?”

I sighed, “Babs, it is good for the one who is suffering in pain.  It is a test of faith for those who stand by and watch it happen.  We will be reunited with those whose life was cut drastically short.  Remember when David fasted when his first child with Bathsheba was going to die.  ‘He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”’ (2 Samuel 12:22-23).  David is saying that this infant son went straight to Heaven.”

Babs smiled.  “Harold, what was the first healing that is recorded in the Bible?”

I laughed, “Okay Babs, you may not like this, but God made them sick.  Twice, Abraham told a king that Sarah was his sister.  He was afraid he would be killed and Sarah stolen.  Each time, the king took Sarah as a bride in the harem.  But each time, with Egypt and with Abimelek, the king gave Abraham great riches to depart from the king, once they knew the truth.  Sarah was Abraham’s half-sister, but they were married.  But in this case, Abimelek and his wives became ill and could not conceive children.  ’Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah’ (Genesis 20:17-18).  So, basically God lifted the curse that he placed upon the household of Abimelek.  And that is what you need to understand in praying for these people.  An illness tests the person who is sick.  It tests the caregiver.  Especially those two need to be prayed for.  Then, the family.  If the ill person has a great attitude about it, the doctors and nurses can be changed as a result.  But in the end, God’s will is going to be done.  So, your prayer may not seem to have made a difference, but each illness affects more than one person.”

Babs said, “Harold, it still amazes me that Israel could have seen all those plagues in Egypt and those miracles in escaping slavery and still go against God.  ‘He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”’ (Exodus 15:26).  Here is the God that heals them, and they went astray.”

I shrugged, “Babs, we do too.  And God’s Law in its purest sense is a very high bar. We can achieve it in part for just a little while and then we get so proud of ourselves, we ruin what we started.”

Babs giggled, “I suppose you are right.  But what about this? ‘If, however, the sore is unchanged so far as the priest can see, and if black hair has grown in it, the affected person is healed. They are clean, and the priest shall pronounce them clean’ (Leviticus 13:37).  Do we have to go to a priest to be declared clean?”

I asked, “Did you read the paragraph?”

Babs giggled, “No, Harold, I found the verse like you do half the time.  I looked it up on my phone.”

I said, “Babs.  If you then tap Full Chapter, then you will see that Leviticus 13 is talking about defiling skin diseases.  They did not want the entire encampment to get leprosy, for an example.  You might find in that chapter a different color of hair. ‘“If a man or woman has a sore on their head or chin, the priest is to examine the sore, and if it appears to be more than skin deep and the hair in it is yellow and thin, the priest shall pronounce them unclean; it is a defiling skin disease on the head or chin. But if, when the priest examines the sore, it does not seem to be more than skin deep and there is no black hair in it, then the priest is to isolate the affected person for seven days.’ (Leviticus 13:29-31).  So, a yellow hair was an indication of a communicable disease.  But this shows in one case that the skin problem is confirmed as being bad.  The person is unclean.  Then there is the case that they aren’t quite sure, so they isolate the person for seven days.  Then, they recheck and that is where your verse comes in.  But there is a difference in being unclean and being ceremonially unclean.  You get leprosy, and you are isolated from the rest of the camp.  But if a priest touches a dead body, he is ceremonially unclean.  He cannot perform his priestly duties for seven days, and then he must go through a cleansing ceremony before he can serve as priest again.  But this idea of isolation to see if something worse develops is a big deal.  When I was a child, and I am sure you were treated similarly, when you had a fever, you stayed home and went to the doctor.  The fever indicated that you might have a bug that needed to be treated.”

Babs gasped, “That’s like Matt and Maddie.  They’ve missed two days of school, and Sadie is busy driving to and from the school to get their homework and turn in what they’ve done.  But when do we see some major miraculous healing?”

I shrugged, “Miraculous healing was not only done by Jesus, but it was always God doing it.  Elijah and Elisha both brought young people back to life, but it was God that did it.  Naaman was cured of leprosy. ‘So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”’ (2 Kings 5:14-15).  But in the chapter before, ‘“What can be done for her?” Elisha asked. Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.” Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!” But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.’ (2 Kings 4:14-17).  Then in the next verse it talks about the boy getting sick and dying.  That’s when Elisha raises him from the dead, through God’s power.  But like Naaman said, he now knew there was only one God in all the world and that was the God of Israel.  So, when God performed these miracles, there was a purpose behind it.  There was a proclamation to be made.  And when you think of the woman being barren and then having a child, she was not alone.  God did that for Sarah (Genesis 21:1-2), Rebekah (Genesis 25:21), the wife of Manoah who was Samson’s mother (Judges 13:2), and Hannah (1 Samuel 1:19-20).  Then in the New Testament, there is Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:7).”

Babs said, “You left out Miriam being healed.  ‘So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!” The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back’ (Numbers 12:13-15).  That was when Miriam and Aaron complained about Moses being the leader all the time and they talked about Moses being married to a Cushite, probably a dark-skinned African.  MIriam was given leprosy, but then she was healed.  But then, I see what you mean.  She was banished from the camp for seven days according to the Levitical Law.  But why don’t we see those kinds of miracles today?  Wouldn’t people start flocking to the churches to hear more about God?”

I sighed, “We have all these faith healers that travel the country.  Sure, they draw a crowd, and not all of it is legitimate, but all the healings do not get put on the news that night.  They consider it trickery, which some of it is.  But even if proving that it was from God, people who do not want to believe will find an excuse not to believe.  We have all the proof we need in the Scripture and in the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our hearts.”

Babs asked, “If we are going to mention miraculous healing, we have to mention Jesus. ‘Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”’ (Mark 2:8-12).  But now I see what you mean.  Jesus said that the man’s sins were forgiven to make a point.  Jesus healed a lot of people, but the ones we find in the gospels have a reason to be there.  To prove He had the power from God.  Like here, to prove He had power to forgive sins.  To let people know He was the Messiah, but like you said, if they did not want to believe, they made up an excuse to not believe.”

I said, “That’s very good, Babs!  But what do you think of the man possessed by a Legion of demons.  ‘A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned’ (Mark 5:11-13).”

Babs shrugged, “I have heard of a herd of pigs.  They were unclean animals.  What is your point?”

I smiled, “That is the point, Babs.  They were unclean animals.  These people may or may not have been descendants of Israel.  They were on the east side of the Jordan and their bloodlines might be mixed, but they were herding pigs, an unclean animal.  They got angry with Jesus for destroying the pigs.  They preferred to stick with their sinful life, so they asked Jesus to leave.  But notice that the pigs had a demon come into them, and these unclean animals preferred death to having a demon inside them.  Yet, many humans live sinful lives and do not even notice the trouble they cause.  Are pigs higher on the food chain than us, or are they simply more observant?”

Babs smiled, “One more!  One more! ‘On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing’ (Luke 11:10-17).  Why did Jesus have so many healings on Sabbath days?”

I smiled, “I can give you three reasons.  One, the person was right there.  The person was in pain.  It was a moment of opportunity.  Two, Jesus was saying two things about their silly Sabbath rules.  One thing was that the Pharisee interpretation was too strict, and even Pharisees violated the man-made rule.  And the other thing is that Jesus wanted to show that it was a good thing to do good on the Sabbath.  And Three, we forget that Jesus knew why He came to the earth.  He came here to die for our sins.  He had to make a group of people angry enough to have him killed, and killed by crucifixion, so that the prophecies would be fulfilled.”

Babs frowned, “That last one is something that I don’t like to think about.  Jesus knew from early on that He had to die to save me.  Who am I?  I have done so many public things that were sinful.  Why?”

I shrugged, “Maybe to keep me straight.  Like Willie said at the wedding, to put a smile on my face.  And I am sure that God gets a chuckle out of these prison inmates that accept Jesus.  He might say, ‘See, Satan, there is one more that you did not get.’  And do not think for a minute that Satan is ruling the underworld for eternity.  He is one of the inmates, and there is no longer a chance for pardon or parole.”

Babs groaned, “Harold, don’t remind me.”

Willie called from the entry way, “Can grandchildren who are not sick come to visit?”

Babs laughed, “Bring them in.  We’ve just finished our discussion about healing.  Maybe we can extend our prayers to the rest of us not getting the flu, but Harold and I are both immunized.  Yay!”

Willie, Jayke, and Janella came in and gave us both hugs.

Willie said, “I brought food.  Wedding soup from our favorite deli.  Fresh from the pot.”

I laughed.  “Oh, that will be great.”

Babs said, “You can have a bowl if you can say, ‘Communicable’ three times really fast.”

Janella scrunched her nose and said, “Comm.  Ummm.  Comm.  I can’t say it once!”

Babs laughed, “I was just joking, Janella!  Let’s eat!”

Credits

All these conversations remind me of my conversations with my wife.  We would talk about anything and everything.  And most of the time, it sounded like a discussion in a Sunday school class.

We have a deli a few miles down the road that makes great soups.  You can get lucky and the one you want is in the pot right then, or you get one that is frozen from their freezer.  I had to quit using them when I found that onion and garlic trigger my IBS problems (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.