Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - ALWAYS THE SAME BUT OFTEN DIFFERENT PART 2

 ALWAYS THE SAME BUT OFTEN DIFFERENT

PART 2

It’s been established and accepted that God does not change (Malachi 3:6) and that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Because of this, if we had kept our “part of the bargain” it is likely that He would have always dealt with us in the same way. After all, if Adam walked with God, it is most likely that a simple to and fro conversation would be all that would ever be required between God and ourselves.

However, we broke our part of the covenant, and rejected God, and, in doing so, made it more difficult for Him to supply our needs.  Thus, the need for Him to resort to various methods by which necessities might be accomplished. For example, perhaps this is why we don’t always get healing just by praying for it. In the Bible, healing took place in many ways. 

Jesus could merely speak a word and healing would occur. Such as in Matthew 9:6 when “…He said to the paralytic, ‘Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’” Or in Mark 10:52, when He told a blind man “…‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’ And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.” Again, in John, Jesus told another paralyzed man to “…‘Rise, take up your bed and walk. And immediately the man was made well…” (John 5:8-9).

Other times, Jesus’ touch healed people such as when He healed the mother of Simon Peter; “…He touched her hand, and the fever left her…” (Matthew 8:15). In Matthew 20:34, two blind men who were sitting by the road asked for healing and “…Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight…”

Additionally, a person could touch Jesus and be healed. Matthew speaks of a woman who suffered from a discharge of blood “and said to herself ‘If I only touch His garment, I shall be well” (9:21). Jesus replied “…’[Y]our faith has made you well.’ And the woman was well from that hour” (9:22).

He even spit in one person’s eyes to cause healing. “…And when He had spit on his eyes…” (Mark 8:23) and after laid hands on him “…he was restored and saw everyone clearly” (Mark 8:25). At another time, He used spit and His fingers for healing for a deaf and semi-mute man. “He took him aside…and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue…and said …‘Be opened.’ Immediately his ears were opened and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly” (Mark 7:33-35). He healed another blind man by His spit and dirt. “…He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay…he went and washed, and came back seeing” (John 9:7).

People did not even have to be present to be healed. When the Roman centurion came to Jesus regarding his servant, Jesus told him to “…‘Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour” (Matthew 8:13). Likewise Jesus healed the daughter of a Canaanite woman, “…‘O woman, great is your faith! Let be done to you as you desire.’…”(Matthew 15:28), and to the son of a nobleman, “…‘Go…your son lives.’”(John 4:50), without either of them being present.

When God would choose people to do His work, again many different means were used. Jesus called people where they worked as fishermen “…‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of Men.’” (Matthew 4:19).  He saw Matthew, the tax collector, “…sitting at the tax office. And He said to him ‘Follow Me.’…” (Matthew 9:9). When Saul was persecuting Him, Jesus got his attention and his devotion by knocking him to the ground “…‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’” (Acts 26:14). Still others followed by simply hearing Christ called “…the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36)

In the Old Testament, God called people forth as judges in different ways as well. In the Book of Judges, we see Him calling Ehud, a left-handed Benjamite (Chapter 3); Deborah, a prophetess who supported Barak (Chapter 4); and Gideon, a quiet man and fearful of the Midianites, whom God used to liberate Israel (Chapter 6). He also called Jephthah, a man of valour spurned by his own people (Chapter 11) and Samson, chosen before he was even born and used in spite of his many faults.

The God who never changes is not reluctant to use different means to achieve His ends. But, although He relates to us in various ways, He, in turn, gives us only one way to ultimately relate to Him

But perhaps we should leave that for part 3. In the meantime, it might be best if we just “Meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8)