In Jesus' Name

Abracadabra!

"Abracadabra!" shouts an amateur magician as he seemingly produces a live rabbit from the depths of his mysterious hat, which he proceeds to place back on his head. People of all ages clap and cheer, even though the adults in the room know that this trick is a mere illusion, a mirage, a distraction from the rather normal circumstances that the magician went through to cause this to happen. However, the children are captivated. He just said one word, "abracadabra," after all.

Later that evening, one of the children in the audience goes home with their parents and immediately rushes to their closet to get their top hat from their collection of previous Halloween costumes. Gathering all of his family around him in the living room, and presents the hat and then shouts "Abracadabra!" in his tiny voice before peering into the hat. Reaching in, he feels around... Nothing. His older siblings start giggling at the confounded look on his face. After the child shakes the hat up and down a few times, he throws it across the room in frustration. When he calms down, his dad explains to him that the magician really didn't do any magic at all. In fact, he really just tricked people into thinking that he did actually make the rabbit appear from nothing. The child, a little bit disappointed, nods approvingly and proceeds to put on the top hat and, standing up straight, pretends to be the President of the United States giving a speech. The whole family applauds and giggles at the little boy's performance.

The story above demonstrates, imperfectly, how a large number of Christians reverently insist that there is power in saying the words, "In Jesus' Name." We've seen the performances of churches that claim to have regular exorcisms as part of their worship services (regardless of how true or untrue the condition of such individuals is). We've all seen large churches come together to pray over an individual with cancer. In both cases, we've seen how they frequently shout in a manner of rebuking (whether directed at demons or illness) three words: "In Jesus’ Name."

We've also witnessed the extreme disappointment when the cancer returns and the pastor blames the congregation for "not praying hard enough/loud enough/enough," and when the individual has a relapse of their demonically possessive episode, and the charades ensue again.

I'm not trying to distract from God's ability to heal those who suffer, and I'm also not trying to say that demon possession doesn't happen. But what about when God doesn't decide to heal someone? What if it's not part of His good and gracious plan? Are we to blame? Do we pretend that the prognosis of the physician is wrong? Do we continue the deception to preserve our image?

Like the short story above, "In Jesus' Name" can be our sort of "Abracadabra!" as Christians who believe our God can do such things. But just like the child, we can get distracted and disappointed when words seem to fall short and when it feels like God isn't answering or that the answer we've received isn't the one we want to hear. We have ourselves convinced that God surely wouldn't let us suffer or die. We have ourselves convinced that because Jesus took up the cross and paid for our redemption that we won't have to take up our own crosses.

So this is my response to what "In Jesus’ Name" really means, and like the father in the story, my gentle reminder of reality to those who feel deceived by mirrors and smoke.

An approach in humility

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus" - 1 Timothy 2:5, EHV

Whenever we pray, we will frequently acknowledge that we are praying through Christ. Sometimes we'll say it vocally, and that's when we'll use those words, "...In Jesus’ Name. Amen." But sometimes it's implied; in fact, whenever we pray, it's always implied. As the verse above demonstrates, there is one mediator between God above and us below, and that's our savior, Jesus. Whenever we pray, we are recognizing that we can only approach God through the blood of Christ in the first place, whether we say it out loud or not.

When we look at it that way, it's really an acknowledgement of deepest humility, that we are so imperfect that we dare not make demands of God if it were not for the work of Christ. Our posture should be anything but demanding when we petition God with Christ as our mediator. Rather, as Christ models in his example prayer, "Your will be done..." which he even echoes in the deepest part of his suffering, "Your will, not mine, be done..."

We must recognize and trust that what God is doing is truly good for us, and what we think we need may not always be the best for us. For example, say you ended up surviving a car crash... paralyzed from the neck down. You pray fervently for a year that God give you the ability to walk again, but the prognosis remains the same: your intellect and health remain the same as before, and your injuries have healed over, but you will be a paralytic for life.

The devil loves to convince us in the midst of trials and tribulations that, with what we are going through, there is no hope. Yet that's not true. Severe car crashes can often be fatal, yet you survived, even with your severe case of paralysis. God could have willed that you be taken home to him that day, and while you might say you wish that he did with your disability, you'd be missing the bigger picture. God's act of willing that you live despite all odds is his mark of saying that the story isn't over yet. He still has a purpose for you.

As time goes by, you share your faith, and it turns out that people are really inspired that despite all that you've endured, you still believe he's doing something good in your life. Even though it's been rocky for you, when people hear your story, they become more sure and comfortable in their faith, because they realize that if God could help you persevere through your mountains, he surely can help them with their small mole hills.

Turns out, your paralysis made you more abled in the work of God's kingdom, even if it made other things in life hard for you. And God has shown how he can advance his kingdom, even through the dysfunctional hands and feet of a paralytic.

While paralysis is pretty extreme in comparison to many of the crosses that we probably bear on a regular basis, the point still remains: God means to do good things with what seems bad to us. Take a look back at the beatitudes again, for example. In each statement, Christ blesses those whom the world would scoff at and say are compromised, weak, and unworthy. Yet, what the world calls unworthy, God counters with a blessing, saying, "You are worthy, because I AM says so."

Just read through them again:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, because they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, because they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. In fact, that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” - Matthew 5:3–12, EHV

What God gives us is a gift that lasts forever, regardless of whether he wills to heal us of our present ills. "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven." You have a greater treasure that lasts longer than your limbs, body, temporal life, pains, suffering, crosses, and trials. Why should we even be sad that we suffer? In fact, God says we're blessed. The fact that we suffer, yet rejoice, is a sign of God's goodness in us, shining in a dark place as the only source of warmth and light in this cold and foreign world. Rejoice when things are good, but still rejoice and more when it's not, because there is proof that God has greater in store for you. You are not bound to this world. You are a citizen of heaven.

God at work in the mundane

A man is suffering from a condition that can be fixed with surgery. At night, he prayed that God would heal his broken/sick body part. The next day, he visits the hospital and a surgeon tells him that his condition can be fixed with a simple surgery - that no one has ever died on the table from - and that he shouldn't suffer any other complications. The man replies, "God will save me," and walks out of the hospital. That night, he prayed again to God, even more fervently, that he would be healed. The next day, a friend of his who is his personal physician at the medical center calls the man after finding out that he refused treatment and tries persuading him to let the surgeon treat his ailment. "I'll even supervise him from the observation deck of the operating room," his friend tells him. The man replies again, firmly and convinced, "God will heal me." That night, he prays again, even more fervently than the last time. The next day, when he wakes up, he's dizzy and his condition has worsened. He's frustrated with God and is confused as to why his condition is worse than before. Getting out of bed, he falls down and hits his head so hard that he loses consciousness. When he wakes up, he's in the ER with the surgeon standing in front of him with the consent papers for the surgery. He urges the man to sign them, telling him that he needs to be operated on urgently. The man assures the surgeon that God will save him. That night, the man passed away from the worsened condition. In heaven, he asks God why he didn't heal him, to which God replies, "I reminded you three times to get the surgery."

Maybe you've heard a different version of the story above with a man in the midst of a flood, and while I could have told it that way and made the same point, I decided to make it a bit more realistic for the Christian audience of today. Sure, we acknowledge the man's folly when he doesn't get in the boat to get out of the flood, which results in his drowning and ultimate detriment, and we claim that we would not be so adamant about God miraculously saving us if it came to our situation. However, when we look at the landscape of much of Christendom today, we tend to be the largest group of grudge-holders against medical care. We skip visiting the doctor, even when we are deathly sick, because "surely, we will get over it." We cover up our pain and discomfort because "we can manage" or "we all have crosses to carry."

However, what if we applied that to the church, which is God's spiritual hospital for curing sinners from their disease of sin and the pains that come along with it? What if we didn't go, because "surely, I can become a perfect person," or when we're feeling isolated and the pangs of sin are cutting deep, "I can manage by myself," or "it's just a cross that God is sending me." While yes, maybe God is allowing you to take up your cross and follow him, when we feel the hurt of sin, it should drive us to God, not away from him. God sends us trials to remind us that we do need him, so that we continually crave the Gospel and come back to him for comfort in the time of greatest need.

Your body, which is fearfully and wondrously designed by an omniscient and benevolent Creator, does have the power to heal itself from small things - minor injuries, moderate illnesses. However, when the symptoms are great and the pain is heavy, it's our body telling us that we need attention. If symptoms are chronic, severe, and long-lasting, we need someone who can help us. And that's when God works through skilled and trained medical professionals who know how to make things right, or how to alleviate the symptoms to give your body a chance to recover. God is constantly at work, reaching into the world through mundane means, whether through a baby in a manger long ago or the steady hand of a surgeon today.

Just as we shouldn't run away from God or stop talking to him when we are going through trials or are feeling the weight of our sin dragging us down, we also shouldn't run away from doctors who are God's servants (even regardless of whether they believe in him or not) to heal society from the aftershock of sin. Just as we wouldn't trust an untrained person to work on our vehicle, we shouldn't let ourselves (who have no medical experience) be our own doctor.

God empowers all people who are skilled laborers to help keep up with the constant decay and need in this world. God works through the hands of the cashier, the stocking assistant, the truck driver, the field worker, and the farmer to help feed the world, which would otherwise starve. He also empowers the doctor, the nurse, the surgeon, and the pharmacist to help heal a world that would otherwise die and decay to nothing. We are not only called to be stewards of our time, talents, and money, but also stewards of each other, who lift one another up and offer our talents and energy to each other. It's this network of God-mandated altruism that saves lives, and when we isolate ourselves from it, both ourselves and those around us inevitably suffer.

So, instead of demanding God to heal us through miraculous and unprecedented means, we should be grateful and thankful. Our prayer should not be, "Let my {insert body part name} be miraculously healed and fully recovered, in Jesus' name. Amen." Our prayer should rather be, "Bless the hands and mind of the skilled physician that the operation may be successful, carried out by you through mundane means, in Jesus' name I pray. Amen."

An eternal promise

There is a much greater force at play in each and every one of our lives, and thankfully, both the deists and those who insist God only does miracles are wrong about the same thing: God does work in the tiny moments. God is at work in the first steps of a child as they learn how to walk. God is with the terrified college freshman as they attend their first class. God is watching over the stressed couple as they grapple with trying to raise their children and provide for them. God is with everyone, whether they acknowledge his divine providence or not.

There is a very good Lutheran hymn that revolves around the subject of the stewardship of the blessings that God gives us, called "Lord of Glory, Who Hast Bought Us," and the first verse is as follows:

Lord of Glory, who hast bought us

With Thy life-blood as the price,

Never grudging for the lost ones

That tremendous sacrifice;

And with that hast freely given

Blessings countless as the sand

To the unthankful and the evil

With Thine own unsparing hand.

God continues to provide for all people and will continue to do so until the end of time. Our status as citizens of heaven is not a hindrance, but a blessing. God not only desires to provide us with all that we need for this life, but he also desires to hear our concerns through heartfelt prayers and petitions. Prayer isn't commanded, and it isn't a chore. It's God promising to hear us and to guide us through each rocky mountain down to each lonely valley in our lives to ultimately arrive at our eternal destination with him.

However, most importantly, God cares about your eternity, and he loves you so much that he wants you to be there with him forever. On the cross of Calvary with arms extended, your Savior gave up his life so that you could continue living on and endure joy that never ends.

So, we need not fear the small things in life. God is at work in both the unexpected moments and in all the mundane moments in between. And when we are feeling weary and stressed, God is there to hear everything and to help us through it all. As Paul wrote in Romans:

"If God is for us, who can be against us? Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also graciously give us all things along with him?" - Romans 8:31-32, EHV

May God graciously preserve us until we arrive at the heavenly gates to spend our eternity abiding with him in his kingdom. Amen.