The Healing Process

The Healing Process

When my son Charlie was 8 years old he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cancer. And the three and a half years of chemotherapy, hospital visits, and all that accompanies the healing process has absolutely reshaped us as a family and as individuals. From the day we heard the word cancer in the ER at Children’s Hospital to our most recent anniversary post-chemotherapy, God has been teaching us, shaping us and making us stronger. Most importantly, He has been with us every step of the way. 

 

Because Charlie’s cancer wasn’t a specifically located tumor (leukemia is cancer of white blood cells, which I learned in the crash course of experience), there was no surgery to remove it, and his entire circulatory system (and beyond) had to be treated. Other cancers can be removed by surgery or concentrated radiation. So we waited over the months for the results of Charlie’s medication to take effect. It did and we are praising God to be cancer-free!

Just like the physical healing when cancer presents itself, spiritual and emotional healing can be a process, too. In the gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry, we often see Him laying hands on people and then the immediate results of changed circumstances. The dead raised to life, bleeding stopped, evil spirits cast out. But one account in the gospel of Mark sticks out to me as unique among these. Take a look:

 

            ²² They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. ²³ He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

            ²⁴ He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

            ²⁵ Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. ²⁶ Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t go into the village.”

 

This healing is the only one recorded in the gospels that happens in stages. What does that mean? I can tell you what it most certainly does not mean. This two-part healing does not mean that Jesus’ power wasn’t sufficient to heal the blind man. I wish to be crystal clear in stating that Jesus was God in His very essence and His power was and is complete and able to heal all our diseases.  

 

As for implications for us, this situation is chock full of them.  The fact that there is only one instance where Jesus healed in stages is significant. As we look at the miracles in the gospel accounts it is difficult to find a pattern for them. Some are personal, some are public. Some are with mud, some with spit. For certain healings, Jesus was right there with the person He healed, and for others He said the word and they were healed from a distance. But all of them, except this one, were completed instantaneously. Why the delay? We can only assume from the scriptural precedent set that Jesus was consistently perfect in His purposefulness. There were no truly unplanned encounters with Jesus as He took each and every individual into account when they experienced Him. This blind man is no different.

Here are some implications I see in this passage:

1.     The process and the timing are personal. This man, like us, had his encounter with Jesus exactly when it was meant to be and in the way it was meant to be. When we find ourselves in the aftermath of a painful life situation, God is fully aware of our circumstances. He is sovereign and intimate so His timing and His knowledge are perfect. That can be a source of comfort when it feels as if we are alone and shocked in our pain. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

2.     We learn things about God and ourselves during the healing process that we might miss if the change was spontaneous. The blind man began his encounter seeing nothing. Then he saw partially. Finally his sight was restored completely. The same is true for us as we work through difficult circumstances in our lives. When there are deep relational or personal wounds to heal, the process of growing is every bit as important as the end result. Conversations may need to happen over and over. Forgiveness may need to be offered again and again.  And when we find ourselves saying, “but I’ve already dealt with this!” it may be that God wants to ask us something new and reveal something else to us in the healing process. We should be different when it’s all over. 

3.     The most important part of being healed is being touched by Jesus. Whether your pain has been because of cancer, divorce, broken friendships, or betrayal, you can lift your head off the pillow each morning with hope if you allow yourself to be touched by Jesus in the process. This should be an encouragement, sisters. He loves us tenderly, completely, and with strength. Even in darkness, He is with us and is our comfort. 

4.     After we allow ourselves to heal completely, we will have more of God’s perspective to see clearly. When Jesus touched the blind man a second time “his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” (verse 25) We understand God’s purposes better in hindsight. There are some life lessons we simply must experience to internalize. And God’s perspective makes us wise.

As I have walked through both physical and emotional healing in the past few years, I see great value and encouragement in this gospel story. When I wipe my tears and press into God for comfort, I sense His healing touch guiding me toward clear sight and deep breathing. The process isn’t neat. It isn’t easy. And sometimes it takes a really long time to move on. That’s okay. God’s not going anywhere until you’re completely healed. And even then, He wants to stay with us for the next challenge, loving us and shaping us more and more into His image. Thanks be to God!

• If you feel stuck emotionally or relationally, how can you lean into God, allowing Him to ask you, “do you see anything”? Sometimes just pausing to look at a situation from God’s perspective can open our eyes to how we’ve already grown and changed.

• This blind man was brought to Jesus by friends. Pray about who God may want you to bring to Him for healing in a difficult time. Look for opportunities to speak truth to them and love them toward God. Go to God in prayer, like these friends, begging Jesus to touch the one you love.