I stood in front of a very conservative congregation talking about how God calls us to carry on Jesus’ ministry of healing, and giving some examples of healings I had witnessed. At the end of the service, a lady approached me with great anger on her face. Having informed me she was a nurse on an oncology ward and her husband was a doctor, she told me I was being irresponsible and making Jesus’ ministry into a spectacle. While she was talking, I was asking the Lord for a gracious but appropriate response. When she had finished, I looked at her and said this: “Jesus did not heal to create a spectacle. He healed because he had compassion.” A startled look crossed her face. She said no more, turned and walked away.
That incident occurred over 35 years ago, but is imprinted on my mind to this day. It came back to me vividly as I was reading a book called “The Father Loves You” by Ed Piorek, a pastor who worked closely with John Wimber. In the book, he relates several remarkable healings, including a person born blind and another born with severe deformities. Both received complete healing in front of many witnesses, and in both cases the key to their healing was the release of forgiveness in relation to childhood hurts.
In the midst of this, Ed makes this statement: “The Gospel accounts show us that whenever Jesus was moved with compassion to help, the power of God was manifest to heal. The principle catalyst for the powerful signs and wonders that accompanied Jesus’ ministry was compassion.”
I have no idea why some folk are so scared of healing that they feel it stopped happening when the Bible got written. But if healing ceased in the apostolic age, did compassion also cease? For healing was and is an integral part of how God shows mercy to people. He is the same God today and his name Yahweh Rapha, the Lord who heals, found in at least five places in the Old Testament, has not to my knowledge been changed.
But I think this Biblical truth about compassion also tells us why we have not seen as many healings as we would like. We think of healing as a gift featuring a mighty manifestation of power from heaven, and so we seek that power. But this is a deception. The supernatural enabling behind healing is not raw power but compassion. If we pray for someone to be healed without having mercy, or God forbid, in order to see our ministry or reputation promoted, how can we expect God to heal?
It is no accident that the miracles witnessed by Ed Piorek and John Wimber occurred in the context of a manifestation of the mercy of God to these folk in the person of those praying over deep wounds of their past, and seeking to represent Christ to them lovingly as the healer of those wounds. That is what set the stage for the miracles to occur.
True compassion leads to a revelation of God’s desire to heal, and that in turn releases faith.
What we need in the church is not more power. What we need is more mercy. If the mercy comes, the power will not be far behind.
CONSIDER PARTNERING WITH DAVID & ELAINE CAMPBELL IN HELPING TO SUSTAIN THEIR ACTIVE MINISTRY.
AWAKENING MINISTRIES // FOUNDATION of FAITH Project
Foundation of Faith Project is strengthening generations in faith and bringing beautiful changes to the communities around them. Through teaching, mentoring and coaching, many are finding out who they are and who they are destined to be. They are bringing more to their world. David Campbell is the key leader in this initiative and you can support him financially directly through Awakening Ministries.
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