your waves and breakers have swept over
in . Modern medical anthropology elaborates upon Levi- My grandma was first diagnosed with stage Strauss ’ s " shamanistic complex " model by recognizing that IV pancreatic cancer at the beginning of effective healing requires an “ active agent ” and a belief that the summer ; when my mom found out , such an agent will properly work . This expands Levi-Strauss ’ s she evangelized to her everyday
. In between rounds of chemo treatments and original model of effective healing by requiring : ( 1 ) the healer ’ s belief in his or her techniques , ( 2 ) the patient ’ s belief in acupuncture sessions , my mom ’ s Bible was always open as she told my the healer ’ s power , and ( 3 ) larger society ’ s faith in the healer . grandma about a Savior who loved her so
If we draw a simplified parallel to the Gospel , Christ ’ s life-giving death and resurrection would be the “ active agent ,” and nothing more than for her to be saved .
much that He died for her , who wanted
the faith through which we gain that eternal life would be the My grandma was scared of dying . She “ belief .” Thus , medical anthropology can provide one lens as would ask ,“ Where do we all go ?” So to why we can find Jesus ’ actual , remedial work trustworthy . my mom shared about the eternal life guaranteed by Christ ’ s resurrection power , and my grandma intently listened .
( 1 ) The healer must believe in the efficacy of his or her techniques .
In the Old Testament , God gave His people a chance to have eternal life : first by granting access to the Tree of Life in Eden , then by providing the Covenant Law through Moses . But Adam and Eve fell in the Garden , the Israelites broke the Law again and again , and God introduced a system of sacrifices in which the shedding of an innocent animal ’ s blood would make atonement for the guilty sinner — in other words , man could not overcome sin or gain salvation on his own . Yet when man could not fulfill his end of the covenant , Jesus became man and kept it perfectly , so that in Him , we could also enter into eternal life .
In the covenant , there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood . 4 In the Garden of Gethsemane , as Jesus prayed in sorrow and agony , “ Father , if You are willing , remove this cup from Me ; yet not My will , but Yours be done ,” Jesus accepted the cup of suffering , fully believing in the power of His blood to wash sinners clean ( Luke 22:42 ). The crucifixion was pain beyond comprehension , yet avoidable — Pilate was already searching for a way to release the innocent prisoner , and Jesus had twelve legions of angels waiting at His command . But Jesus knew only His death and resurrection could overcome the bondage of sin , and so He was determined to pay our ransom . For on the cross , “ Christ ' s wounds are thy healings , His agonies thy repose ,… His death thy life , His sufferings thy salvation .” 5
( 2 ) The patient must believe in the healer ’ s power .
The four Gospels tell of the multitudes that came to Jesus during His ministry , believing that He had the power to heal them . A royal official from Capernaum traveled twenty miles to Cana , confident that if Jesus just spoke the words , his ill son would recover . 6 Jairus the synagogue leader sent for Jesus believing that if He just laid His hand on His dying daughter , she would live . 7 And a woman suffering from an untreatable hemorrhage had faith that merely touching Jesus ’ clothes would cure her . 8 As “ crowds of people came to [ Jesus ] to be healed ,” the doctor and disciple Luke noted , so the Great Physician ’ s patients — no matter if they were handicapped , spiritually-ill , or even terminally-ill — certainly believed in their Healer ’ s power ( Luke 5:15 ).
But when we continue through the rest of history , we see that Jesus ’ s “ patients ” not only believed in His ability to cure the sick , but even more so in His ability to completely heal their spiritual needs and bring them into eternal life . This was Paul ’ s conviction as he sat in jail waiting for execution , writing , “ for to me , to live is Christ , and to die is gain ” ( Phil . 1:21 ). And this confidence in the eternal life found in Christ — that the place He prepares for us in heaven is far better than anything on earth — is what made Perpetua refuse to deny her faith when faced with Roman stadium execution in 203 AD , William Tyndale unable to recant his English Bibles when brought to the noose in 1536 , and Jim
4 Hebrews 9:22 5 Matthew Henry ( 1662-1714 ). Exposition of the Old and New Testaments . Volume 5 . 1708-1710 .
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6 John 4:46-54 7 Matthew 9:18-19 , 23-25 ; Mark 5:21-23 , 35-43 ; Luke 8:40-42 , 49-56 8 Matthew 9:20-22 ; Mark 5:24-34 ; Luke 8:43-48