"Cleansing and Healing, The Table of the Lord"
by Danny Shumaker

Greetings Everyone:

I wonder if any of you have ever had the experience of having a topic that
you just can't leave alone.   It's like God has only one or two lessons to
teach you your whole life and everything seems to come back to that?
Well, with me, for many years, it's been the topics of healing and
forgiveness.  Particularly the number of times that both are mentioned in
the same context.  I have come to the conclusion (as I will attempt to
bring out in this post) that those twin blessings, forgiveness from sin and
healing from physical disease, outlines breifly what God's grace is.

I also would like to point out here at the beginning that I've never been
inclined to be a "charismatic", having a natural skeptical inclination and
being raised in a church that had a anti-supernatural bias.   I believe
this is why God choose to teach me this lesson, because He realized that
for me to be convinced that God heals, in actual, physical and
scientifically measurable ways would take some doing.  The evidence, from
scripture, is overwhelming.

I was taught, in my former denomination, that healing was merely an add-on.
 A side issue, almost God's afterthought.  That only some people were
healed and then only as a "sign" to "confirm the word" and that now that we
have the Bible we no longer pray for healing.  I now believe that healing
is every bit the equal of forgiveness when it comes to the central message
of God's favor towards humanity.  Note the number of times that both are
mentioned in the same context and given equal weight.  In fact, this
happens so many times throughout the Bible that it would be impossible to
go into every passage.   I will mention a few contexts, so that you will be
given the basic concept, and can find other contexts for yourself.

In  John, chapter 5,  Jesus heals a lame man, who is then questioned by the
religious leaders.  beginning in verse 11 (my emphasis):

"He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up
thy bed, and walk.  Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto
thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?  And he that was healed wist not who it
was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, THOU
ART MADE WHOLE: SIN NO MORE, lest a worse thing come unto thee."

Have you ever thought about why the reference to sin, in the same context
as the healing of this man's physical infirmity?

Luke 5, the story of the man who was lowered on a stretcher through the
roof of the house where Jesus was teaching.  Beginning in verse 20:  "And
when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, THY SINS ARE FORGIVEN THEE.
 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this
which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"

Notice the man has been brought to Jesus for physical healing, but Jesus
begins by talking about the man's sins.   Has you ever
taken an interest in this?

"But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What
reason ye in your hearts?  WHETHER IS EASIER, TO SAY, Thy sins be forgiven
thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?  But that ye may know that the Son of
man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the
palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine
house."

Have you ever thought about what a profound question Jesus asks here?   Is
the forgiveness of our sins any less a "real" act of God, a "miracle" if
you prefer?   Which is the easier thing to do?  My point is, here once
again.  Physical Healing bound up in the same context as Forgiveness from sin.

Another passage, James 5:14ff:

"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:  AND
THE PRAYER OF FAITH SHALL SAVE THE SICK, and the Lord shall raise him up;
and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.  Confess your
faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  Notice in the
context, how intrinsic one thing seems to be to the other.   Forgiveness is
linked to healing in a way that you can't separate the two.

Now, what does this have to do with the Table of the Lord?   Just about
everything.   Jesus instituted the practice as a Christian continuance of
the Jewish Passover (although, now, it commemorates the death of Jesus "as
oft" as we do it, not just one time a year.)  The Passover then would be a
type/shadow of the substance which is Christ.   I go back to the original
observance to pick up the meaning.

Each household was to take a lamb  without spot or blemish.  Take it into
their home and care for it, become attached to it (I'll bet you never
thought about the emotional sacrifice that each family made.)  Then on the
appointed day, they killed the lamb, taking it's blood they painted the
doorposts of the house.   You see, a death was required in EVERY house in
Egypt.  The blood was a symbol of that life given.  When God saw the blood,
he spared the firstborn, passing over that house.   Everyone inside was
safe, their personal righteousness had nothing to do with it.  It was the
blood of the lamb, and God's mercy that saved their life.   But, there was
another element to this passover.   They were to roast the lamb, and
everyone inside was to eat the roasted lamb for strength.  How effective
was this?

I'm sure most have watched Cecil B. Demille's movie, "The Ten
Commandments".  It's one of my favorites, but there was something in the
movie that he got absolutely wrong.   He has folks leaving Egypt on
crutches, and even has one old guy so weak that he can't quite make it out
of Egypt before he dies.   The Biblical testimony is quite different.   The
Psalmist later says (Psalm 105:37)  that there was "not one feeble person
among them".  Imagine that!  After 400 years of slavery, around 2 million
people, as young as babies in the womb, and as old as they could get.  Not
only was no one sick, not ONE feeble person, no weaklings....a miracle of
healing had to have occured that night as well.

Then, another incident.  Exodus 15 is where I'll pick up the story.   God,
through Moses, had led the Israelites through the Red Sea, and had drowned
the armies of Pharoah there.  You would think that God had sufficiently

shown his power and authority over water.  Now read this with an eye toward
seeing the types and shadows of Christ.

and keep all his statutes, I will put NONE OF THESE DISEASES upon thee,
which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am YHWH RAPHA'. (the LORD
that heals.)"   The point that I make from this passage is this.   God
here, reveals using his covenant name, an element that is central to His
very nature.  Healing is NOT an afterthought, not just a sign to "confirm
the word"...it is God's very nature to Heal, it is part of His Name.

It is God's business to heal, the problem is that we religious folks have a
tendancy to tell God how to conduct his business.  The charismatics have a
tendancy to look at the use of medicine and time as a lack of faith.  And
the "faith teachers" will tell you that if you're not healed you must not
have enough faith.  God promises to heal, but he never promises when.   And
from my own background, the non-charismatics, how often do we pray for
healing, and then say, essentially, "But, God, do it in a way that I can
explain...stay in my theological box."  Oh we don't say it that way
exactly, we say 'Be with the doctors and "providentially" restore him to a
portion of health." (whatever that means)  We essentially are telling God
how to heal the person.  Now Lord, be sure not to do it miraculously.
haha, we are so goofy!

God is Yahweh the Healer.  That is His very nature.  Personally, I believe
that everyone is healed in the same way that everyone is forgiven.   And
that no matter how it happens, all healing comes from God.  We don't have
to beg Him, or twist His arm, or whine or nag.  Healing comes as natural to
God as breathing is natural to us.

I'm getting to the table of the Lord, trust me.

1 Corinthians 11:23ff "For I have received of the Lord that which also I
delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was
betrayed took bread:  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said,
Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance
of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped,
saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye
drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and
drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore
whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, UNWORTHILY,
shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord."

Note:  it's "unworthily", an adverb modifying the action, not an adjective
describing the person doing it.   We are never told to examine ourselves to
determine our worthiness.  We are told in this context to examine the
manner in which we partake.   To partake in a worthy manner, is to
recognize and discern the body and blood of Christ.   Taking the focus off
of Jesus, and on to ourselves by loading up on guilt, that action itself
makes the action in an unworthy manner.   Guilt is not an appropriate
attitude, but we should merely have gratitude.  Just raise the cup, and
remember the blood, the forgiveness of sins and say "thanks."   It's not
our doing, in any way.  NONE of us are "worthy", it is the worthiness of
the sacrifice that we commemorate.
  

(v. 28) "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread,
and drink of that cup.  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth
and drinketh DAMNATION  to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."

"Damnation" is a somewhat inaccurate KJVism.  The word is Judgement or
Chastisement.   I believe Paul is making the case that sometimes physical
illness is a chastisement from God.  He says this plainly (v. 30)  "For
this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep."  I would ask
you, if this is not the point that Paul is making, then what does this
passage mean?

So then, this brings us to the two elements of the Lord's Supper, and what
they symbolize.   If we are only commemorating the forgiveness of sin, then
only one symbol is needed, the fruit of the vine, which is a symbol of the
blood.   But then, we have the bread, which is a reminder of the roasted
lamb, eaten for strength, which caused not one of them to be feeble.

Isaiah 53:4-5  "Surely he hath borne our GRIEFS, and carried our SORROWS:
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes were are healed."

This passage was quoted or alluded to by New Testament writters as being
fulfilled in the ministry of Christ.   The Hebrew  Language is vague enough
to leave it as "griefs" and "sorrows" in Isaiah.  However, the Bible of the
earliest Christians was the Greek Septuagint version, which was quoted by
Matthew, in the context of physical healing, which leaves no room for
speculation as to it's meaning.

(Matthew 8:16-17) "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that
were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and
healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our INFIRMITIES, and bare our
SICKNESSES."  Physical Healing then is shown to be a central part of the
work of Jesus.   

Another allusion to the Isaiah passage, I Peter 2:23,24:

"Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he
threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead
to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

Jesus paid the price for the forgiveness of our sins by shedding his blood,
and for our physical healing by the stripes laid upon him.   Both are
symbolized in the table of the Lord.   The blood sprinkled on the doorposts
saved them, they ate the lamb inside the house for strength.  Now we
remember and show our faith in the work of Christ, to forgive our sins and
to heal our bodies.  BOTH are a part of the reconciliation and work of
Jesus.   BOTH are equally symbolized by the memorial feast.

AND, I contend that both are the inevitable result of God's grace.   We
should affirm, in eating the bread, by his stripes we are healed.  Our
physical healing is provided for, and will happen.  Sometimes, healing
happens now.   However, even if we die waiting in faith for the promised
healing of our physical bodies, in the next instant of our conscious
existence, in the ressurection we receive the fulness of the promised
healing.  A perfect, disease free, PERMANENTLY healed body.  It is this
hope of the resurrection that is a promise pictured at the Lord's Supper
equally to the forgiveness of our sins.

I conclude then, this long post, (and ask your forgiveness once again for
it's length) with the prayer of  Paul for the Thessalonians (I Thess 5:23)
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole
spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ."

Peace,
Danny

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