Editorial June 28, 1930 Issue

Absent Healing

Clifford P. Smith

One of the names for the one God given in the Hebrew Scriptures is Jehovah-Ropheka, which means "Jehovah that healeth thee" or "the Lord that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:26). The first point in the comprehension of absent healing by Christian Science is that God, the infinite Mind, does the essential work. When Peter said that Jesus of Nazareth "went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (Acts 10:38), the words "for God was with him" constituted an explanation of Christian healing. In this work, God must be with the healer or practitioner, but the practitioner does not need to be in the presence of the patient.

Naaman had no interview with Elisha until after he had been healed (II Kings 5:1–16). In at least three cases, the Master healed sufferers whom he did not meet (Mark 7:24–30; Luke 7:1–10; John 4:46–53). Oftener than otherwise he saw and spoke to the persons for whom he rendered this service, but these instances of absent healing completely prove its possibility; and there may have been many other instances in his experience besides those which the New Testament writers have recorded.

At that time, moreover, human thought attached much more importance to physical presence than it does to-day. Then, sufferers even sought Peter's shadow, in which there could be no virtue (Acts 5:12–16). Now, everybody is accustomed to the exercise of the most important functions, in business, commerce, government, and other human relations, by persons for persons between whom there is no interview, and often no direct communication. So, we for whom matter is disappearing and spiritual substance is becoming tangible should have no difficulty in comprehending absent healing.

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