Faith that heals

"What is this powerful, healing faith? And how do I know if I have enough ...?"

By Marian C. English

THE ROAD WAS hot and probably more than a little dusty in that dry country. A man sitting by the roadside had begged for his living so long that he had come to be known by his physical handicap. "Blind Bartimaeus" he's called in Mark (see 10:46-52). But one day when he heard Christ Jesus was near, he insisted on seeing the spiritual healer and teacher. Throwing off his dust-covered robe, he rose and approached the Master. His vision was restored at once, and Jesus said to him, "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole."

Not my faith, but your own, Jesus had said. Where others saw nothing more than a hopeless, blind beggar, Jesus discerned holy, abiding faith in God, and that Christly perception opened the way for healing. It wasn't an isolated incident, for Jesus gave the same benediction to many. A woman healed of hemorrhaging (see Mark 5:25-34), Mary Magdalene as she was regenerated (see Luke 7:37-50), and a man expressing joyful gratitude for being cleansed of leprosy (see Luke 17:12-19)—all were told that their own faith had been instrumental in the remarkable healings that had redeemed their lives.

What is this powerful, healing faith? And how do I know if I have enough faith to be healed spiritually, especially when the challenges seem great? Such questions might well be asked by everyone who yearns for a better understanding of the healing method Jesus practiced. The answers bring us right to the heart of the teachings of Christian Science.

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