Jesus Walks On By...

Last night while preparing for bed, I was reading through Acts 3:

(NIV)Acts 3:1-10
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer---at three in the afternoon. [2] Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. [3] When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. [4] Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” [5] So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
[6] Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” [7] Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. [8] He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. [9] When all the people saw him walking and praising God, [10] they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

As I was reading this, I realized that Jesus had probably walked right by this beggar, since he went to the temple in Jerusalem several times. The man seemed to be known to most people (verse 9&10), and as such must have been a permanent fixture outside the temple. I think that Jesus had opportunity to heal him, but didn't while present on earth, so it makes me wonder why?

I am reminded of a few other verses:

John 5 where Jesus walks into the area surrounding the pool of Bethesda, and only healed the one man, but there probably tens if not hundreds of other sick people near by.

Mark 10:46-52 where Jesus walked by blind Bartimaeus. He healed him, because Bartimaeus cried out and wouldn't stop calling, once he heard that it was Jesus, but Jesus still walked right by him initially.

In all these instances, Jesus must have been being obedient to the Father - see John 5:19 - and the Father's purpose at that time, not healing these other people, or the lame man outside the temple. We know that sickness is not from God, being the fruit of sin and rebellion (thanks Adam and Eve) and as such something that Jesus came to address. In every case, Jesus healed everyone that was brought to Him or came to Him to be healed, but He clearly didn't heal everybody that was sick in the geographical region. I can imagine Him walking by these sick people and longing to heal them, because of His love and compassion for them, but being obedient to the Father who has a plan that He is following.

For those of us that have been praying for healing or miracles, we should take heart, for the Father's will is clearly that we should be healed, the timing is one of the things that we need to trust to Him. The lame man outside the temple could have been healed by Jesus personally, instead he was healed by the apostles, and it was one of the cornerstone healing for the young church, demonstrating that Jesus was the son of God, and had authority to heal. The seeming delay in his healing brought greater glory to Jesus.

I think of it this way, Jesus' healing ministry was meant to be a catalyst to the healing ministry of the church. Jesus could only physically touch so many people in his brief ministry period. The remaining sick were for the church to heal! I can almost see one of the first healing outreaches of the young church being the area around the pool of Bethesda, completing the work that Jesus began by healing everyone that was gathered there.

In now way should we interpret a delay in our healing as proof that God doesn't want to heal us, or doesn't plan to heal us. Part of the mystery of the Father is that He is God and His purposes and thoughts are so much higher than ours that we can't grasp them fully. We can understand His nature, but His perfect timing is probably beyond our grasp, but that doesn't change His will to heal us. So let us keep trusting in His Love and Compassion and continue to call out to Him, like Bartimeaus, and expect that He will heal us.