Charismatic Gift: Gifts of Healing

Fruit of the Spirit: Joy

Complete Joy. What would that be like?  No Pain, no suffering, no worry, no fear? All of us have experienced joy in some measure in our lives, but has it been complete?  One meaning of the word Jesus used for complete is translated “fulfilled.” Jesus used a similar word at His death on the cross- “It is Finished” (complete). Fulfillment or completion means a promise made has come to pass. A plan has been seen through to the end.

Joy is our destiny when we successfully “complete” the journey of this life as disciples.  Does that mean joy cannot be experienced in this life even though it is not “complete”?  Of course not. The Holy Spirit came to fill us with gifts and the fruit of joy is one of the fulfillments of receiving the gifts of the Spirit.

But what about all the suffering in the world?   How can we have joy when there is so much pain and suffering? If God would only take away the pain and suffering in the world, then our joy would be complete, right?  What did Jesus say?- “Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be complete.” Joy is tied to asking. The word Jesus used for asking also can be translated “desire”. Jesus is saying in essence, when you desire what I desire, you will have my joy, which is complete.  

So what is Jesus’ desire?  In Luke 4:18 Jesus reads from Isaiah 61: “ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."…. And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing

Jesus fulfills the desire of the Father to bring freedom, healing, and restoration to His people. Jesus’ joy is complete when he fulfills His mission as Redeemer. As believers we share in that mission… to bring release to captives, sight to the blind… in other words, healing.  Joy is complete when we co-labor with Jesus in healing a broken world.

Healing is a mystery (like most things in the spiritual life!) When we pray for healing, we are being obedient to the revelation Jesus gave to pray for the sick and do greater things than he did! His commission was to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead (Matt 10:8).  Why are some healed and others not when we pray? Just like joy will never be complete on the earth, neither will healing.   Only when we meet the Lord when our journey is fulfilled will our joy and our healing be “complete.”