Rise and Be Healed

We have accounts in the Bible of people who were ready to claim or receive God’s miracle grace in their lives. The examples of these people instruct our hearts about how to respond to God.

One example is a crippled man who heard the Apostle Paul on one of Paul’s missionary journeys. It seems Paul was preaching in the marketplace, so not to a group of believers, but to the general public. A crippled man, hearing the message of Christ, responded with faith in Christ. Paul recognised that response in the man, maybe by the look on his face or possibly by spiritual discernment.

“In Lystra sat a man, crippled in his feet, who was born lame and had never walked. He listened to Paul’s words. Paul looked intently at him and saw he had faith to be healed. Paul called out loudly, Stand on your feet! The man jumped up and began to walk.” Acts 14:8-10

Paul basically said the man “Rise and Be Healed!” And the man did exactly that.

A similar example had already taken place in the ministry of the Apostle Peter. Peter was visiting the Christians when he came across a man who had been paralysed for eight years.  

“In Lydda Peter found a man named Aeneas, who had been paralysed and bedridden for eight years. Peter said, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and put away your mat. Immediately Aeneas got up, and all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.” Acts 9:33-35

Peter basically said to the man “Rise and Be Healed!” And he did.

In the ministry of Jesus there are examples of blind men who came to Him for healing. They believed Jesus could heal them and claimed that healing.

“Two blind men followed Him, crying, Have mercy on us, Son of David! After Jesus entered the house the blind men came to Him. Do you believe I am able to do this? He asked. Yes, Lord, they answered. Then He touched their eyes and said, According to your faith be it done to you. And their eyes were opened.” Matthew 9:27-30

Later in Jesus’ ministry a blind man named Bartimaeus cried out for healing. He head the crowd and learned that Jesus was nearby, so he called, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus called him over.

“What do you want from Me? Jesus asked. Rabbi, he said, I want to see. Jesus said Go, your faith has healed you. Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” Mark 10:51,52

Among this list of healings, consider the first miracle in the church age, when Peter and John healed the lame man at the temple. The man cried out like a beggar, for coins.

“Peter and John said, Look at us. The man looked to them, expecting to receive something. But Peter said, I have no silver and gold, but what I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk! Peter took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were strong. Then leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.” Acts 3:4-8

In these examples we see people responding in faith, open to believe that there is healing and blessing through the name of Jesus. In each case they did not walk away saying it was too hard to believe, but they were hopeful and expectant.

That state of mind is the posture of faith, where people put aside their current reality (blindness or being crippled) and expect that they can be radically changed, by the truth they are hearing, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In each case faith and the yielding of people to a posture of believing repeatedly brought miracle results.

Yet in Jesus’ time we also see the inverse: people who refused to believe and gave priority to their doubts and misgivings, such as when Jesus went to Nazareth. When people refused to believe, the flow of God’s divine miracles was choked.

“Coming to His hometown, Jesus taught in their synagogue, and they were astonished. Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers? they asked. Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things? And they took offence at Him. But Jesus said to them, Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honour. And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.” Matthew 13:54-58

We see then, that our experience of the power of God has a lot to do with how we respond to Jesus. It is not the only consideration, as the disciples found when they tried to cast a demon out of a boy. Jesus said that prayer and fasting were required for such a miracle. So I am not intending here to put it on people that if they have not received we should scorn them for their lack of faith.

What I want to point out is that with the spark of faith the miraculous flow of God’s divine power was opened to people in Bible times and that same principle operates today. If you are in need, or you want to receive more of the miraculous impact of God’s Kingdom in your life, family and situation, then determine in your heart to believe and receive the Word of God. And be ready to Rise and Be Healed!