Healing and the Scriptures

1
Healing and the Scriptures

• An Exchange with Fr. Seán Charles Martin, S.T.D.
• Associate Professor of Biblical Studies
• Aquinas Institute of Theology
• St. Louis, Missouri

2
The Prophets and Healing

• The Prophets (Nebiim) constitute one of the
  three major categories of what we call the Old
  Testament, along with the Law (Torah) and the
  Writings (Ketubim)
• Prophetic literature includes those books
  ascribed to any given prophet (e.g., Amos,
  Isaiah, Jeremiah) or those books which include
  stories about the prophets (e.g., 1 Kings and the
  stories about Elijah, or 2 Kings and the stories
  about Elisha
• The most common term in the Old Testament for
  prophet is nabi
• In 1 Kings and 2 Kings both Elijah and Elisha are
  commonly referred to as man of God (ish ha
  elohim)

3
1 Kings 1717-24

• Narrative context Elijah is depicted here as a
  thaumaturge or miracle worker
• Thaumaturgy (miracle working) was one of the
  signs in ancient Israel (and the ancient Middle
  East) of leadership
• Literary form the miracle story
• Bad situation
• The word or deed that reverses the bad situation
• Proof of efficacy
• Reaction of the bystanders

4
1 Kings 1717-24 (continued)

• This is a poor family the woman is a widow, and
  her son is a minor
• The illness of the son has economic consequences
  for his mother
• The restoration of the sons health means
  stability has been restored to the entire
  household

5
1 Kings 48-37

• Elisha, like his mentor Elijah, is here depicted
  as a thaumaturge
• The miracle is two-fold
• Fertility is granted to the woman (or her
  husband)
• Life is restored to the youngster
• Economic implications of the two-fold miracle

6
Psalm 102 A Prayer for Healing

• Psalms are the prayers and hymns of ancient
  Israel
• The Book of Psalms includes laments, pilgrimage
  songs (the Songs of Ascent), psalms of praise,
  royal psalms, wisdom psalms, historical psalms
  all of which were typically committed to memory
• Psalm 102 is a lament

7
Characteristics of the lament

• Invocation (1022-3)
• Description of need (1024-12)
• Reasons why God should respond (10213-18 26-29)
• Petition (10224-25)
• Caesura
• Praise to God for having heard the prayer
  (10219-23)

8
The ritual setting of lamentation

• The miseries that provoke lamentation
• Laments and the Temple
• Animal sacrifice at the Temple
• Priests as temple functionaries and agents of
  healing

9
Preliminary conclusions

• In Israel, as in the rest of the ancient Near
  East, the restoration of health was seen as an
  act of God
• Prophets and priests, as intercessory figures,
  were important conduits of healing
• Prayers for healing were frequently tied to
  rituals of sacrifice
• The restoration of health had consequences for
  the family or community to which one belonged

10
Jesus and healing

• Jesus as a thaumaturge see Acts 222-24
• Jesus the exorcist Mark 121-28
• Jesus the healer Mark 621-43

11
Mark 621-43 the sick woman and the dead girl

• Literary form intercalation (a story within a
  story)
• The request to heal the daughter of Jairus
  (621-24)
• The woman with the hemorrhage (622-34)
• The healing/raising of the daughter of Jairus
  (63543)
• Comparisons and contrasts
• 12 years
• A powerful synagogue official and a powerless
  woman
• Old age and youth
• Healing as a sign of the Kingdom

12
Healing in the early Christian community

• Acts 31-10
• Peter heals in the name of Jesus
• Acts 932-35
• Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you.
• Healing as the power of Jesus made manifest