Several different versions of one of Jesus’s healing miracles are found in Matthew 8:5–13, Luke 7:1–10, and John 4: 46b–54.
All three versions take place in the town of Capernaum. Matthew and Luke place Jesus in that city situated on the north end of the Sea of Galilee, reputedly the headquarters of Jesus’s ministry. John says that a government official was in the city, but both Matthew and Luke say a Roman officer was present. Amy-Jill Levine, one of my favorite scholars, suggests that the government official was one of Herod’s staff. Whoever the man was, he was not a friend of the common Jewish person.
Luke states that the sick person, who was about to die, was a servant. Matthew says he was a servant boy struck down with a painful paralysis. John says the official’s son was dying. I wish they’d make up their minds.
In Jewish writings, the details are not important, but within those details are truths. This process, called midrash, or biblical interpretation, can have multiple interpretations, none of which are right or wrong.
In all three versions of this story, the sick person was healed by Jesus, the Teladoc, meaning he wasn’t present with the patient. Teladoc, a virtual healthcare service, is part of medicine today. I have used it after normal business hours of in-office doctors. These professionals can live anywhere in the United States. I can share my symptoms, and the doctor will come up with a diagnosis as well as a possible treatment.
In all three biblical stories, the sick person is healed by Jesus. Some, especially those who interpret the Bible literally, see this story as a miracle in which God or Jesus (or both) does some hocus pocus to make the person well. I call this “the Houdini Jesus,” who performs all kinds of unbelievable miracles.
I have no interest in that Jesus, but I am intrigued by the interpretation. I see quite a few truths within the story.
Regarding the first truth, while some believe that Jesus’s ministry was strictly to his fellow Jews, in these stories I see Jesus opening his ministry to the entire world. This includes even his perceived enemies, Roman officials, and royalty from King Herod and the Samaritans. My Christ has to be inclusive, not exclusive, demonstrated by the Trump cult groupies. My Jesus ministers to all, regardless of where they are on their life’s journey.
My second interpretation is to do with the power of positive thinking, which I believe Jesus used repeatedly in his healing miracles. People were often healed when Jesus told them their sins were forgiven.
This brings up a couple of essential points. As a psychotherapist, I have had many clients who had issues about forgiving or being forgiven, which prevented them from moving forward with their lives. I would remind people that not forgiving is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. Guess who dies first.
My other point happened when I was lying in a hospital, severely injured from a motorcycle accident. I had been told that I would have to stay in the hospital for two months, resulting in my having to drop out of seminary and maybe becoming homeless. I told this to a priest, who said that “90 percent of all healing happens in the head with a positive, creative attitude.” I listened and was out of the hospital in a week.
The power of forgiveness and positive thinking makes much more sense to me than hocus pocus miracles.
What is your take?
PeaceLoveJoyHopeKindness
Bil
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P.S. People often ask me provocative questions about current events, both religious and secular. I have found that some of these questions are being asked universally. I’ll be periodically alternating regular articles with one of those questions and my answer. I invite you to send me your question to bilaulenbach@yahoo.com.
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash