Word For The Day By Christian Education Forum

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WITNESSING THROUGH HEALING


Luke 8:26-39
In the Scriptures, physical and spiritual healing given by Jesus was a means of proclaiming His divine authority over the powers of darkness and purpose of God to deliver all from the bondage of those powers. These healings were transformational experiences from the dominion of death to abundance of life. In this text we see the restoration of a demon processed man from his hopeless situation and his transformation to a powerful witness, declaring the great things God has done.

From Death to Life: The miserable life of this demon-processed man was associated with death and its dominion over him. His dwelling in the tombs and his self-tormenting and uncontrollable nature, all showed that it was not life, but death that reigned in him by the legion of demons that controlled him. The encounter of Jesus with this man set him free. The powers of darkness confessed their defeat at the word of Jesus, the light of the world.

Transformation: We read that Jesus transformed every aspect of his life; from an uncontrollable personality to submission to the authority of Jesus, from nakedness to being clothed, from disturbed conscious to a sound mind and from the tomb to the sweet fellowship of Jesus. Watchman Nee in his book “The Normal Christian life” says Christian life is an exchanged life, a substituted life and Christ is our substitute within.

Witnessing through Healing: While this man expressed his strong desire to go with Jesus, Jesus instead wanted him to witness what God had done for him, specifically, among the community, which had asked Jesus to depart from them. The testimony of his deliverance was a proclamation of the salvation, which Jesus offered to all, and an invitation to experience that. We, the believers are called to be a witnessing community for whom Jesus Christ is a new life and a reason to invite others to be partakers of that experience.

Jesus transformed my own life by delivering me from the bondage of sins and its pleasures. In our family, we had also experienced His healing touch in times of sickness when my wife was diagnosed with the beginning stage of cancer. As a family, our desire and prayer is to live as His witnesses and tell of the great things God has done for us to all.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving us a new life and delivering us from our hopeless situations. Empower us with your spirit to be your witnesses to glorify your name.

Abey Cherian, St.Thomas, New York





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