Here is the event and circumstances surrounding this statement by Jesus according to the Lost Gospels of Jesus:
Because they are pitching Jesus' ability to heal. They want to gain followers, and because practically everyone wants their body - or a relative's body - to be healed at some point, it is a very attractive proposition.
Just consider, for example, if someone started a political organization, and the main platform of their party was that if you joined this political party, all your ailments would be cured. Sounds great, yes? Without a doubt, this political party would have a lot of members in the near future.
This precise thing has been done by numerous "healers" that claim to represent Jesus - and some that say they are Jesus - over the years. A number of these in recent times have been exposed as fakes. Some planted their own people in the crowd to fake being healed. Others used other types of tricks to make a display of fake healing, in order to attract crowds of followers - and money of course.
And certainly, all of these fake healers would make a claim that they are healers and that they were healing people.
But notice that Jesus doesn't do this. He states - "your faith has healed you." Why didn't he say, "I healed you" ?
Jesus clarifies in multiple ways outside of this event - just who is responsible for his healings:
How does this happen? Is Jesus some kind of lightning rod that is transferring God's power into healing?
Let's not get too imaginative. The reality is that the Supreme Being conducts His business through technology beyond the scope of our minds.
The reality is that the Supreme Being has complete control over this entire physical universe. He can change how matter flows and conducts simply by wishing it. He has no constraint in the world of matter. This is because every atom contains His potency.
For this reason, if He wants someone's body to be healed - it will be healed.
Jesus clearly states that he wasn't running the show. He was acting as God's representative and was conducting the business of God. Jesus was focused upon doing what pleased the Supreme Being. He clearly stated this:
So why, some might ask, if God has power over every atom, is there sickness, pain and death in the physical world? If God can heal each of our bodies, why do we get sick? Why do our bodies die?
Some preach that sickness and death are the results of not praying enough. They will band together and start praying for someone who is sick. As if the more people pray, the more chance of God healing that person. And for this reason, many also pray for peace. And they pray for starving children.
So why are so many people still dying and getting sick and so many children are still starving after all this praying? Why do wars continue after all the praying for peace? Is God just not listening? Do we just need to get more people to pray and then there won't be any death or sickness or wars?
This is a proposition based on a lack of knowledge. The reality is, sickness and death will still happen. Even this man who was healed of his sight - still his body got diseased and died at some point. And even the most devoted saints throughout the world - their bodies have gotten sick and died at some point.
The point is that this is the dimension where sickness and death are built in. This physical world was designed around the premise that every body dies. No body makes it out alive.
The physical body is temporary. It is designed to have a finite life. And it is designed to get sick and have pain. These things are built-in. There is no way around it: As long as we have a physical body, the body will get sick, be in pain and die.
Why? Because this is not our world. We are just passing through. The body is like a car. A car by design will break down at some point. We get in the car and drive it during its useful life, and then we get out and take it to the junkyard to get scrapped.
Like the car, the body is a temporary vehicle. We get in the body and drive it for a few decades and then it sputters and its time for us - the spirit-person within - to get out.
The reason we are put into this vehicle of the body is because we have rejected our loving relationship with God. We abandoned our true identity as His loving servant. So what does He do?
He gives us the freedom to express our rejection of Him. He gives us a temporary, false identity, through which we can pretend He doesn't exist for a while. He allows us to exercise our innate freedom to reject Him. He allows us to try to be happy without Him.
For example, many think being the Olympic champion will bring happiness, and that's why so many strive so hard for many years to achieve it. But becoming the Olympic champion doesn't make one happy. Take, for example, the Olympic world champion in the men's decathlon a few decades ago. Did it make him happy? No. He now seeks to become happy by becoming another gender.
This is how empty this physical world is without the Supreme Being. Even those who seemingly have it all - just as this Olympic champion had - fame, beauty, wealth, family, beautiful spouse and so on - still are not happy. No matter what we achieve in the material world we are still empty without our loving service relationship with the Supreme Being.
This is why sickness, pain, and death are built into the physical body. If the body was permanent and didn't experience pain, sickness, and death, then we'd never be motivated to consider returning to our relationship with God. This would equate to God simply abandoning us eternally to a world where we would remain empty and alone without Him.
This is also what the Supreme Being and Jesus were trying to teach those begging to be healed. While they thought they were being healed physically, they were actually being healed spiritually. They had a change of heart - one where they became dependent upon the Supreme Being. This is the teaching that Jesus was trying to convey as he facilitated these miracles.
Jesus clarified the objective of his healings. Just as were the goal of his teachings, they were to encourage us to re-establish our lost relationship with the Supreme Being:
As Jesus neared Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. As he heard the crowd passing, he began to ask what was going on. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. So he called out, “Jesus, Servant of David, have mercy upon me!” Those in front scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he kept crying out – “Servant of David – have mercy upon me!” Jesus stopped and requested the man be brought to him. When he had been brought up, Jesus asked him: “What do you want me to do for you?” The man replied, “Master, I want to regain my sight.” So Jesus told him, “Your faith has healed you. Receive your sight.” Suddenly he regained his sight and began following him and glorifying God. When everyone saw this they praised God. (Luke 18:35-43)
Was this only about healing the man's body?
Some teachers focus attention on Jesus healing the man. This is their only focus. Why is that?Because they are pitching Jesus' ability to heal. They want to gain followers, and because practically everyone wants their body - or a relative's body - to be healed at some point, it is a very attractive proposition.
Just consider, for example, if someone started a political organization, and the main platform of their party was that if you joined this political party, all your ailments would be cured. Sounds great, yes? Without a doubt, this political party would have a lot of members in the near future.
This precise thing has been done by numerous "healers" that claim to represent Jesus - and some that say they are Jesus - over the years. A number of these in recent times have been exposed as fakes. Some planted their own people in the crowd to fake being healed. Others used other types of tricks to make a display of fake healing, in order to attract crowds of followers - and money of course.
And certainly, all of these fake healers would make a claim that they are healers and that they were healing people.
But notice that Jesus doesn't do this. He states - "your faith has healed you." Why didn't he say, "I healed you" ?
How did the man's faith heal him?
Jesus' statement in itself states clearly that the man's sight was healed by his "faith." But faith in what or whom? (The meaning of "faith" is further discussed here.)Jesus clarifies in multiple ways outside of this event - just who is responsible for his healings:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free" (Luke 4:18)
“I have shown you many good works from the Father." (John 10:32)
"As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me." (John 9:4)
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26)These statements and others confirm that Jesus is conducting the business of the Supreme Being. The miracles were being done by God. Jesus was acting as the medium for God's work.
How does this happen? Is Jesus some kind of lightning rod that is transferring God's power into healing?
Let's not get too imaginative. The reality is that the Supreme Being conducts His business through technology beyond the scope of our minds.
The reality is that the Supreme Being has complete control over this entire physical universe. He can change how matter flows and conducts simply by wishing it. He has no constraint in the world of matter. This is because every atom contains His potency.
For this reason, if He wants someone's body to be healed - it will be healed.
Jesus clearly states that he wasn't running the show. He was acting as God's representative and was conducting the business of God. Jesus was focused upon doing what pleased the Supreme Being. He clearly stated this:
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work." (John 4:34)
"By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me." (John 5:30)
“My teaching is not my own. It comes from the One who sent me." (John 7:16)Furthermore, the "faith" that Jesus is mentioning in Luke 18:42 above is not speaking of faith in Jesus. What would be the big deal for them having faith in Jesus? He was standing right in front of them. Rather, Jesus was speaking of faith in the Supreme Being. We see this from other statements:
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)We also see this from the responses of the man who received his sight along with those who were witnesses to this miracle:
Suddenly he regained his sight and began following him and glorifying God. When everyone saw this they praised God. (Luke 18:43)
Why would they all praise God?
Because they recognized that it was God who did this. It was God - working through His beloved servant and representative Jesus - who was doing this.So why, some might ask, if God has power over every atom, is there sickness, pain and death in the physical world? If God can heal each of our bodies, why do we get sick? Why do our bodies die?
Some preach that sickness and death are the results of not praying enough. They will band together and start praying for someone who is sick. As if the more people pray, the more chance of God healing that person. And for this reason, many also pray for peace. And they pray for starving children.
So why are so many people still dying and getting sick and so many children are still starving after all this praying? Why do wars continue after all the praying for peace? Is God just not listening? Do we just need to get more people to pray and then there won't be any death or sickness or wars?
This is a proposition based on a lack of knowledge. The reality is, sickness and death will still happen. Even this man who was healed of his sight - still his body got diseased and died at some point. And even the most devoted saints throughout the world - their bodies have gotten sick and died at some point.
The point is that this is the dimension where sickness and death are built in. This physical world was designed around the premise that every body dies. No body makes it out alive.
The physical body is temporary. It is designed to have a finite life. And it is designed to get sick and have pain. These things are built-in. There is no way around it: As long as we have a physical body, the body will get sick, be in pain and die.
Why? Because this is not our world. We are just passing through. The body is like a car. A car by design will break down at some point. We get in the car and drive it during its useful life, and then we get out and take it to the junkyard to get scrapped.
Like the car, the body is a temporary vehicle. We get in the body and drive it for a few decades and then it sputters and its time for us - the spirit-person within - to get out.
The reason we are put into this vehicle of the body is because we have rejected our loving relationship with God. We abandoned our true identity as His loving servant. So what does He do?
He gives us the freedom to express our rejection of Him. He gives us a temporary, false identity, through which we can pretend He doesn't exist for a while. He allows us to exercise our innate freedom to reject Him. He allows us to try to be happy without Him.
Why are we not happy with what we have?
No one is happy without our innate loving relationship with God. This is why we are all feeling empty - as we seek happiness within the temporary forms and things of the physical world. This is why there are wars - as we struggle for control. This is why we are never satisfied with fame, or family, or money - or even being a world champion. It is never enough.For example, many think being the Olympic champion will bring happiness, and that's why so many strive so hard for many years to achieve it. But becoming the Olympic champion doesn't make one happy. Take, for example, the Olympic world champion in the men's decathlon a few decades ago. Did it make him happy? No. He now seeks to become happy by becoming another gender.
This is how empty this physical world is without the Supreme Being. Even those who seemingly have it all - just as this Olympic champion had - fame, beauty, wealth, family, beautiful spouse and so on - still are not happy. No matter what we achieve in the material world we are still empty without our loving service relationship with the Supreme Being.
This is why sickness, pain, and death are built into the physical body. If the body was permanent and didn't experience pain, sickness, and death, then we'd never be motivated to consider returning to our relationship with God. This would equate to God simply abandoning us eternally to a world where we would remain empty and alone without Him.
This is also what the Supreme Being and Jesus were trying to teach those begging to be healed. While they thought they were being healed physically, they were actually being healed spiritually. They had a change of heart - one where they became dependent upon the Supreme Being. This is the teaching that Jesus was trying to convey as he facilitated these miracles.
Was Jesus' purpose to heal people's bodies?
If it were, he didn't do a very good job. He only healed a few people. Why didn't he set up a hospital and heal everyone who was sick or disabled?Jesus clarified the objective of his healings. Just as were the goal of his teachings, they were to encourage us to re-establish our lost relationship with the Supreme Being:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Matthew 7:21-23)
