If a certain kind of drug is advertised on TV, it will do exactly what is affirmed in the commercial, and there’s no doubt about it (it never occurs to them that about as much time is spent defining what the drug can do to you as is spent telling what it is supposed to do for you). And any kind of style (regardless of how outlandish), any kind of new fling, any kind of new game, or new way to have fun; any kind of new car, or product, or service; any kind of new anything is accepted without question and with little or no investigation. After all, if it’s on TV it’s gotta be true.

And that includes religion, too. All kinds of religions are promoted on television and people make no effort to investigate whether or not the claims made by the promoters are so or, what the Bible says about such affirmations.

One of the most repugnant to me is supernatural healing. People accept the claims and affirmations of the Televangelists without any investigation at all. After all, it wouldn’t be on TV if it weren’t so.

Television is not an authority, folks—on anything. And it is certainly no authority on religion. The Bible is the final authority in religion. It only what affirms what is true and what is not, not some fancy-dressed evangelist, accompanied by an orchestra to set the mood, and fancy-dressed partners whose main job in the enterprise is to “amen” what is said by the main man, and cheer the project on so that the audience stays pumped up to a fever pitch. And just because some pink-haired lady sheds tears and sobs as she affirms some matter certainly does not prove the affirmation to be so. In fact, it may be good reason to be dubious of it.

Divine healing—miracles—are one to the most appealing of the projects promoted by the Televangelists. And just because it’s done on television and before thousands of people charged to a frenzy by loud music and never-ending shoutings of “Hallelujah!” does not prove it to be authentic and documentable.

Do these fellows actually heal folks? Do they do what Jesus did in the New Testament? Are their miracles acts of divine intervention, suspensions of natural law like those done by the Lord and His chosen ones?

Look at it, folks. Don’t believe it just because it’s on TV. Look at the difference in the healing done on today’s television screens and that which was done in the Bible.

Jesus never failed. If He called for healing, it happened. And it wasn’t gradual, either. It was instantaneous. On the spot. Right now. Today. In Luke 5 LBX, Jesus healed a man who was afflicted with paralysis. When He had said, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house,” there was no lapse of time, and no doubt about what was accomplished. The scripture says, “Immediately he arose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.” Do you hear that? Immediately he was healed. In Luke 6, there is a record of the healing of a man with a withered hand. Jesus said to the man (Luke 6:9 LBX), “Stretch out your hand.” The hand was restored. Instantly. His hand was obviously withered and suddenly it was whole. Now that’s a Bible miracle.

And Jesus healed all manner of diseases, not just ones that are not visible like back-aches and internal stomach problems. Matthew 4:23 LBX, says, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness, and all kinds of disease among the people.” It was not restricted to things you couldn’t see. His miracles were undeniable, spectacular, conspicuous. Have you ever seen a man’s limb restored on TV? Or a blind man’s eyesight restored, or a man cured of muscular dystrophy or some other obviously external malady? You don’t see that kind of healing, do you? Why not, do you think?

And here’s one for television: How many of the modern miracle workers have healed someone without that someone even being present? Jesus did. The Centurion in Luke 7 sent people to Jesus to make plea for his servant who was “sick and ready to die” (Luke 7:2 LBX). When Jesus came near, the officer told him there he was not worthy of Jesus’ entering into his house, that He should just say the word and his servant would be healed. He did. And he was. “And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick” (Luke 7:10 LBX). Try that on TV, won’t you?

Furthermore, Jesus showed miraculous power in other areas of life to prove that He was the Messiah. How many faith healers of today have rebuked the wind and waves (Mark 4:39 LBX)? How many of them have fed five thousand people with a few loaves and fishes (Mark 6:44 LBX)? And think about it, folks. These were miracles you didn’t have to guess about, obvious suspensions of natural law.

But most of all, how many of these so called “faith” healers have ever raised a person from the dead? You want to see a miracle? I’ll show you a miracle. Lazarus had been dead four days (John 11:39 LBX). Jesus came and said, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he did. “And he who had died came out , bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.” Now, there is a miracle! There, folks, is a miracle!

If the modern day “miracle workers” want to show some power, some proof of their message being from God (John 20:30-31 LBX), let them duplicate the Bible miracles. Otherwise, let them hush up, get out of the way, and let the Gospel of Christ do its work.

Copyright (C) 2002-2005 Southside Church of Christ
All rights reserved.