Page 43 - BMIN191 Beginnning Internship

The Tasks of Ministry 43

to even greater questions, such as “What does God want to do?” or “How can I
glorify God in my difficult circumstances?”
Potential of Glory
Once when they encountered a blind man seeking help from Jesus, the
disciples asked Jesus why was the man born blind (John 9:2). They wondered
whether the man’s condition was a result of his own sin or his parents. Jesus’
response did not address the past, but instead looked to the moment and the
future of that man’s life, spiritually and physically. He explained that the man’s
blindness opened the way for the demonstration of God’s glory. Then, as a result
of Jesus’ action, the man went home completely healed.

9 What can the minister In ministering to the sick, the minister must maintain this focus. Probing
do to help the sufferer reasons for sickness are of less consequence than what God will do. The minister
demonstrate trust in God? must point the suffering toward faith and trust in God’s plan, for God can bring
glory to himself through anything that happens among humankind. To trust God
for His strength and to demonstrate the peace He gives even when we have yet to
be healed brings even greater glory to God than celebrating a healing.
Even the unconverted would respond in celebration over being healed. Many
are brought into the Kingdom this way. But to trust God and continue worshipping
Him when healing has not yet come is a sign of deep relationship and great faith.
Sickness is an opportunity to see God glorify himself through our healing.
Some confuse faith with a powerful belief that will get them what they
want or need. But faith is trusting God when we have yet to see Him act. The
minister must keep God’s purposes and the pursuit of His glory as key priorities.
Teaching people that believing hard enough will bring relief actually does little
to build lasting faith, for God’s development of His children will include times
of suffering where relief is not immediate. Faith that hinges on attaining healing
whenever we want it cannot stand in times of deeper testing.
Ministers must also be aware of their role in the healing event. The minister
is but a servant, not a leader. God heals and does not share His glory! The Bible
makes this very clear. When God heals, there is a temptation for the minister to
lose sight of the true reality in the changed situation, and accept attention and
status that no human should touch. This is the deceptive voice of pride. Inversely,
the minister and those who are looking on can feel rejection or failure if the
sufferer is not healed. Neither of these positions acknowledges God as Healer or
depends fully on His sovereignty. Faith and obedience please God and cause Him
to move mightily, according to His will.
Prayer of Faith
The book of James offers the familiar formula for praying for the sick
(James 5:14–15). The sufferer demonstrates faith by calling for the elders of the
church, and they respond by anointing the person with oil and lifting to God the
prayer of faith. To do this is a continuation of the New Testament practices of the
early church.
The use of oil carried a dual meaning. Oil, then and now, is symbolic of the
Holy Spirit, thus it is used to symbolize the request for the Spirit’s power. Many
commentators point out that in the days of James’ writing the oil was used for
its medicinal value as well. It is not certain if James was advising that this dual
emphasis be carried on through the history of God’s church on this earth. We
simply know that both the spiritual and the natural are effective agents.