March 6
Sickness must be REBUKED and not EMBRACED
And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them (Luke 4:38, 39)
Take note that Jesus rebuked Peter’s mother-in-law’s fever. He did not tell her that it was a blessing sent from God. He did not tell her that it was a test that she was going through that she needed to pass with patience. He did not say with a mighty preacher’s voice that “Gawd es en control. Let Him work out His will in you.” He did not even pray for her to be healed. Jesus aggressively went after the fever itself and rebuked it.
To rebuke someone, or in this case, some thing, is to issue a stern reprimand. It is to inform the person or thing that you disapprove of its present activity. Biblically speaking, it is commanding it to cease from its current works and to depart from one’s presence. Jesus had to have been angry with this fever to have rebuked it.
Now, if sickness is sent by God then this would mean that Jesus was fighting against the Father’s works. This would mean that the Godhead is divided. That is impossible since Jesus made it clear that He and the Father are ONE (John 10:30; 17:11, 21). Whatever attitude the Son had towards this sickness, the Father was feeling it likewise. Therefore, the fever could by no means be the work of God.
Too often our ministers pray over the sick with no expectation of results. The reason being is that many of them believe that to pray for the removal of sickness is to go against the will of God for the sick one. You can hear it when they make such statements in their prayers like, “if it be thy will, please heal so-and-so, otherwise, give them the strength to pass this test” or some other similar unbiblical platitude.
If we, like Jesus, begin to see sickness, not as an agent of God’s blessing, but rather, as an enemy invader that God hates, then we will begin to follow our Lord’s example and take the same aggressive action that He took concerning Peter’s mother.
God’s people have been given authority over sickness and disease (Luke 10:17-20). Do not embrace it as a friend. Be like Jesus and rebuke it as an enemy who dares to trespass.
Visit www.vindicatinggod.org
If you like this devotional, why not get our book, "Does God Send Sickness?" This book deals with a number of passages, especially in the Old Testament, that some use to paint God as the author of sickness and disease and show how they can be properly interpreted to vindicate God.
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