Page 9 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 9
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According to opinion surveys, clients in psy- Here, Jesus apparently allows God to show what
chosomatic clinics wish the therapy to bring is needed in this situation – and this is not what
changes in the following areas of life most of all: presents itself immediately to everyone’s eyes.
God’s aims can thus be something other than
1. Self-confidence, self-efficacy what the client names and what the therapist
2. Anxieties perceives as obvious. It is therefore worthwhile
3. Experience of self-worth and dealing with to enquire about God’s aims for a client or for a
illness therapy process.
4. Difficulty in finding recreation and relaxa- The ways of recognising such aims can be very
tion varied: impressions in prayer or the wishes of
5. Loneliness and contact disorders the client’s heart, “works prepared beforehand”
in the life of the client, Bible words which be-
And God’s aims … ? come the “rhema”, impulses received by a su-
The evangelist Mark records (Mk. 2,3-12): pervisor or spiritual leader, inspiring books and
“Some men came, bringing to him a lame man, much more. God wants to lead us and speak to
carried by four of them. Since they could not get us, and “whoever belongs to God hears God’s
him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made words.” (Joh. 8,47)
an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging The dangers of this procedure become clear at
through it and then lowered the mat the man once: passivity, so that no more aims are deve-
was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said loped or battled through by oneself; listening to
to the lame man, God can be put in the place of the necessary ne-
gotiating of aims between client and therapist.
“My son, your sins are forgiven.” But the opportunity offered by this procedure
Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, is that previously unthought of aims can come
thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow into one’s mind. Encouragement for healing can
talk like that? He is blaspheming! Who can for- be received for healing in further important
give sins but God alone?” areas of life: if I can believe that God desires
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this these aims, I can also believe that He stands be-
was what they were thinking in their hearts, and hind them with His power.
he said to them, “Why are you thinking these
things? Which is easier: to say to this lame man, Aims of Healing in the Bible
‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take “Psychotherapy” can be found neither as a word
your mat and walk’? But I want you to know not as an express thought in the Bible. Yet an
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to important aim of God with man and a sign of
forgive sins.” So he said to the man, the approaching Kingdom of God with Jesus is
“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” that people become whole. Here healing is un-
He got up, took his mat and walked out in full derstood holistically and comprehends bodily,
view of them all. This amazed everyone and mental and spiritual changes. The aims of this
they praised God, saying, “We have never seen healing include e.g.:
anything like this!” Strengthening, stabilising, supporting (e.g. 1
Kings 19,4f; Luke 9,13)
The striking feature of this story is this: not a Release from symptoms and normalisation (e.g.
single word from the lame man or his friends Mk.2,11; Mk.5,15)
has come down to us, nothing regarding exact- Release from guilt and feelings of guilt (e.g.
ly what they expected from Jesus. The only ob- Mk.2,5; 1.Joh.3,19f.)
vious thing is the problem of lameness and the Recognising the truth, being set free (e.g.
request to Jesus for help. 2.Tim.2,24-26)
When Jesus sees their faith, he names a surpri- New behaviour, love and good works (e.g. Joh.
sing aim: forgiveness of sins. Only in a second 8,11b; 1 Tim. 1,5)
step does he heal the obvious symptoms. Becoming like the image of God, like Christ,
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