Article February 25, 1985 Issue

[Jesus] disavowed entirely the idea that sickness was sent by God...

R. K. Harrison

The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible

[Jesus] disavowed entirely the idea that sickness was sent by God as a punitive measure, nor did he encourage the belief that the sufferer ought to remain ill in order to acquire courage or learn patience. On the one occasion where the sufferer raised the possibility that it might not, after all, be the will of Christ for healing to take place (Matt. 8:2–3; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12–13), Jesus was at pains to banish the implied suggestion immediately, and proceeded to heal the leper forthwith.

Fundamental to all his healing activity was his conviction that disease was not an established part of the divine order of things.

R. K. Harrison, "Healing," in The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (Abingdon Press)

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