Become What You Believe“As Jesus left the house, he was followed by two blind men crying out, ‘Mercy, Son of David!
Mercy on us!’ When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, ‘Do you really believe I can do this?’ They said, ‘Why, yes, Master!’ He touched their eyes and said,
‘Become what you believe.’ It happened. They saw.”
Matthew 9:27-30, The MessageIn the passage just previous to the one above (Matthew 8:18-26), Jesus had just been asked by a local official to accompany him home to heal his daughter. As they were traveling, Jesus encountered a woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years. Jesus healed this woman and they went on to Jairus’ house where he healed the little girl.
As Jesus left Jairus’ house, two blind men began following him. These two blind men were so desperate for their healing that they followed Jesus all the way home and went in to the house with him, maybe even uninvited.
We often times read these as three separate stories, however, in a short period of one morning or afternoon, these four individuals experienced the healing power of Jesus Christ. There is a common thread that runs through each of these lives that enabled them to receive what they so desperately needed.
Do You Really Believe?
Before any of these people approached Jesus, they had already made a decision that Jesus Christ was able to heal them. Jairus said, “My daughter has just now died. If you come and touch her, she will live.” The woman with the hemorrhage thought, “If I can just put a finger on his robe, I’ll get well.” The two blind men were asked by Jesus, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!” They came boldly with no second thought.
When we approach The Healer in prayer, have we made that same decision? Or do we “worry our prayers” like wind-whipped waves?
A Risk of Faith
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for…” If faith is substance, then what is substance? Substance is... taking action. So faith is taking action in the things hoped for.
Jairus, the woman, and the two blind men each took action to receive the healing they needed. Jesus noted that the woman took a risk of faith. Due to her medical condition, this woman was an outcast among her family and friends. She had surpassed the “play-it-safe” mentality and went out on a limb to touch Jesus. Jairus, a high ranking local official, had to push through the gossips looking for a story and the neighbors bringing casseroles to get the Healer to his daughter. As for the two blind men, at this point, being blind served them because they were not able see the faces of those who might have been critical or disapproving of them coming in to the house uninvited.
Have you had to push through the opinions of others, the safety of the familiar, or gone beyond your boundaries of belief, maybe even risking your reputation or social standing, to receive your healing?
Become What You Believe
So often we cry out to God to heal our bodies, our finances, our relationships, or our emotions, and when nothing immediately happens, we begin to doubt that God heard us. The problem here is not that God can’t or won’t heal; Isaiah 53 says that “He took our illnesses, He carried our diseases.” It’s been promised to us – it’s a done deal. The solution may lie in what we believe or expect.
Let’s look at how Jesus answered the question posed by John’s disciples in Matthew 11:2-6. “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?” Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side. Is this what you were expecting?”
Jesus is the Healer. He has promised to heal us if we believe and have faith. We also have to be expecting to receive it.
A friend of mine, a professor at a local Bible college, tells how she “became what she believed.” She woke up one morning not feeling well and was scheduled to teach nine hours of classes that day. Her first reaction was to find a substitute for her classes. Then she decided instead to take action on behalf of her healing. So she dressed in her finest purple suede shoes, purple sweater with a purple fur collar, and her favorite amethyst ring. Her students were pleasantly surprised and wondered what was going on, as she usually dressed more casual for class. She told them that she believed she was healed and that she was making her body come into alignment with the Word of God. Nine hours later, she left the college campus feeling great!
Are You Ready?
The Word says if we ask taking action and believing, it shall be done. Do you really believe Jesus can do what He promised in His Word? Are you willing to take a risk of faith? Will you go out on a limb if necessary? Are you ready to receive your healing and so much more? Are you ready to become what you believe?
© 2008 - Karen R. Power. All rights reserved.
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