Luke 10:25-38 King James Version (KJV)
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
Please consider this passage carefully.
In the story of the good Samaritan, he labels the one who stops and binds up and heals as the good neighbour. The Samaritan gave that which he had to the one who was afflicted. Consider carefully what the Word says you have as a believer in Christ. Whether you feel like you have it or not scripture says you have the capacity. It is no more kind to encourage a baby to remain in infancy because their present ability does not live up to their full grown capacity, than it is to encourage believers to remain in spiritual infancy and not grow up into the fruitfulness and full capacity of a spiritually mature follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. “It is written” he who believes will lay hands on the sick and they will recover (if you believe) Mark 16:16-20 and that if you believe you can do the word Jesus did and greater works (John 14:12). Friends, let us grow up and be and do as His Word says we can. Let us not cross the to other side of the road but follow the example of the good Samaritan and be the good neighbour that Jesus calls us to.
Especially if you lead or shepherd or act as an elder or mentor for any others, please pay close attention to Ezekiel. The Word draws your attention especially to these verses. Please take note of how God judges us when we hold back what He has commanded us to share.
Ezekiel 34 King James Version (KJV)
34 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.
5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
8 As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
10 Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
Consider the ministry of our Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd in contrast:
Acts 10:38 King James Version (KJV)
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Malachi tells us to not pay tithes is equivalent to stealing from God. Ezekiel tells us to not heal the sick and the diseased and to not bind them up is leaving them as easy prey. Jesus spells out who the enemy is that is preying upon the sick. Sickness is an enemy, not a friend. It is a fruit of the fall, not a gift from God. Death is an enemy not a friend. Let us not be confused. Jesus came to give life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). He chose to heal the women oppressed for 18 years (Luke 13 see below) and the man with the withered hand (see the beginning of Mark 3). We see this theme over and over again.. In the case of the woman, he spells it out, that we do not even leave an animal without water, in other case he says if an animal falls down into a well, we get it out and don’t leave it there.
James 1:16-17
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Luke 13:10-16 King James Version (KJV)
10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
James 2:15-17 King James Version (KJV)
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jesus called being set free of the devil the bread of the children. (Matthew 15 see below) We are never told to pray for the sick, we are told to heal the sick. There can be no complacency in us on this topic. If a donkey falls down a well, then we do all that we can until the donkey is out of the well. How much more so must we be motivated to do the word assigned to us to setting those who are most precious to God free from their afflictions?
Matthew 15:23-28 King James Version (KJV)
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Healing and Discipleship 