Sam Yeiter - Healer

Considering our role as under-physicians...

A while back I performed my first healing service.  Some of you know me (and for those that don’t, I’m a hard-line, cut-of-the-old-cloth Baptist who believes the sign gifts – tongues, prophecy, healing, etc – are a thing of the ancient past)…ok, now that everyone knows me, back to the healing...are you surprised?  Never thought you’d see the day, did you?

Well, perhaps some of you would feel better if I called it a James 5 prayer service.  Do we all feel better now?  I used to…but now I’m mad.  I’m mad because the snake oilvangelists on the family channels exploit the gullible and desperate by offering healing in exchange for cash or credit.  I’m mad because reckless theologians pastors preachers misunderstand God’s word and tell the hopeful-but-ignorant that God has promised healing to all if they have enough faith.  When they are not healed, the result is a distrust of God and a discrediting of his work.  These misuses and abuses have made the word “healing” off limits for theological conservatives.

I’m also mad at myself for caring what people think of me for using the word “healing.”  I was defensive and found myself wanting to say that I was going to be doing a James 5 prayer service over someone with a physical malady.

Let me ask this…did God create the world whole or broken?  Whole, you say?  Right!  Does it make God happy or sad that the world is now broken?  Right, sad.  What is the significance of a certain Tree of Life we see in the divine kingdom envisioned in the book of Revelation?  Yes, my friends…say it with me…healing.

It is ridiculous that we should shy away from asking for and talking about healing.  God wants us well, that’s how he made us.  When I anointed the participant with oil and prayed over them, I unabashedly came before the throne and asked God to heal them.  I didn’t go on about the fact that he has the right to decline, and that he probably wouldn’t heal them and how we’d be pleased as punch if he didn’t.  I just asked for what is within his power to do.

I had talked with the participant about God’s will, and they understand the decrees as well as I do, and the fact that his grace is more than sufficient if he chooses to withhold healing for now.  They are prepared to use wisdom to pursue alternative methods of healing if God does not directly intervene, but when we ask, let’s ask!  And let’s not be afraid of what people may think or how we may be lumped in with the telehealers.  Let’s just ask God for that which he tells us to ask.  And let’s take back the word “healer.”  It is time for pastors to recognize their place in the healing system, as under-physicians to the Great Physician himself.  Are we in danger of prioritizing physical healing over the spiritual?  Sure, but just because there is a risk we may blow it doesn’t mean we don’t try to do what is right.

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