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Healing School #4 | The Blind Man of Bethsaida, Part Two | Nancy Dufresne | Jesus the Healer Broadcast
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Hi, I'm Nancy Dufresne. Welcome to our podcast channel. We know you'll be blessed by today's message. I want us to look again real quickly. We. In the previous episode, we were talking about divine healing, studying line by line, different healing occurrences that happened under Jesus ministry. So let's reread that again. And mark chapter 8, verse 22 is where we're going to find it. Listen, it costs Jesus everything for our salvation, which includes our healing, that is not to treat lightly. We should not be okay with not having the he, the health that cost him everything. We should regard and honor that price that he paid by making sure we don't permit anything that's not of healing in our life. So mark chapter 8 and verse 22, it says, and they came to Bethsaida, and people brought to Jesus a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he caught the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. And when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands upon him and asked him, do you possibly see anything? And he looked up and said, I see people, but they look like trees walking. Then he put his hands on his eyes again and the man looked intently. That is, he fixed his eyes on definite objects and he was restored and saw everything distinctly, even what was at a distance. And he sent him away to his house, telling him, do not even enter the village or tell anyone there. So in the previous episode, what we looked at was that these men that brought this blind man to Jesus, they expected something. The blind man expected something, or he would not allow himself to be led there. The people cared about him, that brought him. So it matters that you have people around your life that care about your life, right? Because there's times of need, you need help getting where you need to go. And so we spent some time on the previous episode talking about this, but I just. We need to refer to it so that we can. Can catch people up. Why did Jesus lead this man out of the city? We went over to Matthew, chapter 11, verse 21:24, and we read that because there were three cities in this passage that Jesus listed Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and there had been mighty works done in these three cities, and the cities rejected him. So Jesus made a pronouncement upon them and said, woe unto you, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. And said, because you have rejected. Basically he was letting them know, there's not going to be any more miracles within your regions. And so this man that is brought to him is he's brought there. In the city of Bethsaida, these are one of the cities that is under judgment. Now, when we say under judgment, was God mad? No, Jesus was notifying them. Because you reject God, he can't do anything. Not that he doesn't want to. He wants to, but you forbid him to. And so this is the setting that we find this blind man, he's been in the city of Bethsaida. So what do we know about Bethsaida? The residents are primarily unbelieving, doubting, they're rejecting, they're not in faith. Yet he had some people that cared about him and evidently heard enough about Jesus to bring bring the blind man to Jesus. But when Jesus gets there, Jesus separates this man from those who brought him and take takes him outside the city limits. Why? Is it because Jesus so much wants to heal that he will lead you apart with himself to get you away from all doubt, unbelief, get you away from settings of doubt and unbelief because he so much wants you to receive? So we see it's not God being bad to these cities, it's these people resisting God. And so we see that he had to be led to a different location. I love something I heard one minister say, because it's in keeping with this, it's in line with this, is that there was a healing evangelist that had great results. And he went to one particular city and he didn't really get the same results that he normally got in his crusades so far as healing is concerned. And pastors noted that. And they asked him why is that? And this evangelist said, the reason we didn't have the same amount of healing results is because there's no healing voice in the city. There's not enough ministers declaring it. So people are behind in believing and expecting. So he said, basically he said, I'm having to teach them what would have been better if they already knew, so they could just come and receive of the healing anointing. But because they didn't know it, basically he was plowing the ground for them. So it doesn't matter what a region believes as to how far God can move, you know, and you say, well, what? How does that affect me? Make sure your household is a region that believes God. Make sure in your household miracles happen. Because miracles can happen in your household, whether they happen anywhere else. But you have to set the setting. You have to make it conducive for that power. You have to make it conducive for God to be able to manifest the way he wants to. And he can't manifest when the setting is doubt and unbelief and fear. And it has to be a setting of faith. So we see that God, Jesus so wanted to help this man that he was not willing to just say, I'm sorry, you've been part of a circle of unbelief. You've been part of a community of unbelief, and so I can't help you. No, he wanted to help him so bad. He says, I tell you what, I got a plan. God always has a plan for your help. He always has a plan for your help. When it looks like there is no alternative, there's always a plan for your help. So Jesus led him outside of this city that had, had had judgment pronounced on it. And we never have record that Jesus ever did another miracle in those three cities. Again, not because he's withholding, but because the people rejected. Now, verse 23, it says, and he caught the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Notice this. And when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands upon him. So I don't know whether he just spit directly on his eyes. I don't know whether he spit on his hands and then put his hands on the man's eyes. And people would say, you know, what an unusual method of ministering. Why did Jesus minister that way? Well, no doubt the Spirit led him to. We don't see him do that every time. And you have to be willing, whatever method God sees appropriate for your setting for your situation, you have to accept it. You have to be willing to take it. You can't pick and choose, okay, I'll let this person pray for me, but not this one. You know, in the sense of I've had. At different times, we'd have healing lines, and there were so many people. I would call other ministers up to help us in the healing line. And people would get out of the other minister's line and come get in my line or come get in my husband's line, because they're picking and choosing. Well, the thing is, if they had been endorsed by the minister who's conducting the meeting, you're probably safe to just go ahead and let anyone minister. Don't you decide, okay, I can get healed under them, but not under them. No, you let God just go ahead and move and bless you and. And you don't have to coach God on how he should on how he should minister to you. So many people will certainly tell God you know, I need, you know, I need provision. I'm believing for it to come through this route. Well, or this avenue. Well, I don't, I don't coach God because he has more avenues than I know about. It's the same thing with healing. You don't want to decide how someone can minister to you as to whether or not you'll be healed. What if this man would have not liked being spit on? Really? That could be a social turnoff, right? Could we not say it? That some people would say, that's humiliating if you're blind. If you're blind and someone has help and healing for your eyes, nothing's humiliating now. Nothing is humiliating. It leaves the scope of humiliation. If it's help, it's not humiliation. Absolutely. So people, there may be people who say, I wouldn't let anybody spit on me if I needed healing. Anybody can spit on me who can help me? Who can help me? If they've got the power and they're led by God, go ahead. I can always wash it off, but I want to be compliant with the Holy Spirit who is leading the ministers that minister to me. I would rather have healing than protect pride. And there are some people who would never stand for or never put up with allowance someone, well, what if Jesus had a healing line right there outside of Bethsaida? It's not just the blind man, it's others. And they see this blind man being spit on. How many people would stay in the line? Would some get out of line? Depends on how bad you want it. That's depends on that, right? This man showed, I want it. I want it. So Jesus didn't always touch the sick. In this case he did. Sometimes he just spoke words. So I'm saying this, we don't limit God, we don't limit God on how he can minister to us. Now Jesus asked this man, do you see anything? Now, isn't this unusual? We don't see that happen in other situations where Jesus was ministering to the sick. Why is that? Well, look at verse 24. The blind man, he looked up and said, I see people, but they look like trees walking. So there's improvement. But there's not total healing. There's not the clarity, the distinction that comes when eyes are working perfectly. So we see improvement. I want you to know, notice under Jesus ministry, people improved. It wasn't immediately instantaneous healing, it was improvement. He saw shapes, but he didn't see details. So we see that this man was healed by degree. He had a degree of healing, restored sight Restored. Sometimes when we believe God for healing, there's improvement. Be grateful for the improvement. Don't just falter because something's not instantaneous. So many people, they start believing God, and because nothing happens immediately or instantaneously, they let go of their faith. God is wanting to teach you and instruct you and train you that you hold to his Word and not to measures of improvement or instantaneous healings, that you're led by His Word. You're holding to the Word, you're not holding to a measure of improvement, whether you improve or not. So you say. Pastor Nancy I've been believing God. I've been releasing my faith, and nothing has changed. Just keep believing. Just keep believing. Just keep believing. Don't tell God how it's going to happen. Just do your part. Just keep believing. Healing by degree is still healing. Improvement is still healing. Amen. So you think about it. When the centurion soldier came to Jesus and requested on behalf of his servant, he had a loyal servant that was dear to this centurion soldier. And he said, he's ill. And actually the Bible says he was near death. Jesus said, I'll come and heal him. And what did the centurion say? You don't need to come. Now think of this. You have to think. If you had a need, someone very dear to you in your household was at the point of death, and Jesus said to you, I will come to the house and heal him. Would you have enough faith to say, you don't need to come? That's what the centurion soldier did. He said, you don't need to come to my house. He said, you just send the word. Just you say, because the saying is enough. Remember, he said, the centurion soldier said to Jesus, he said, I tell him not one man come. He said, I have men that are under me in authority. I tell one man to come, he comes. I tell one man to go, he goes. I tell another man, do this, and he does it. And Jesus said, I've not found so great faith. No, not in Israel. So this man is not a Jew. He's just a man who understands authority. So we see this, that he understood that he could just speak. And it says that from that hour, his servant began to amend. What's that mean? It was a progression. It was an improvement. It was not instantaneous. I wanted you to see that there's more than one passage that shows that there was not instantaneous healings, but they did receive the fullness of the healing. But it came by degree. So don't let go of your faith. Don't let the devil talk you out of it. Just if things are not. The progression is not as fast as you want or as much as you want. Don't limit God to the instantaneous because improvement is still supernatural. It is still supernatural. So this is where a lot of people miss it. They do limit God to the instantaneous. They think that if it's not instant, it's not working. Or they think if I don't feel it, it's not working. But power can be felt and power can also be unfelt. So don't limit God. Don't stop believing. If healing does not seem to be instantaneous, just keep the switch of faith turned on. Jesus told us, he said, you job is to believe, you receive. That's your job. Not administrate to God how it's going to happen, when it's going to happen, through who it's going to happen, what method it's going to happen. Our job description is believed. That's our job description. Believe. Don't be occupied with when. Don't be occupied with how. Just be occupied with believing. Just keep releasing your faith every day. And don't lose. Don't lose your expectation. So this is the only time we see Jesus laying hands on someone twice. Remember, he laid hands on the man he only saw partially. He could see shapes, but he could not see detail. So we have to wonder, since this is the only time when we see Jesus lay hands on someone twice, we have to wonder why. Why with this man, do we see him lay hands on him twice? What's the reason for that? Does it have something to do with the blind man having been in the city, in the midst of a people who rejected the works of God? Did it affect his faith? I would dare to say it hindered his faith. I would dare to say it did have an effect on his faith. Had it affected his faith? Quite possibly. More than once. Jesus told those who were healed under his ministry, your faith has made you whole. Remember every time, so many times. Not every time, but many, many times, when Jesus ministered to someone and they received their healing, he would say, your faith made you whole. So he linked their measure of faith and the degree of faith they were releasing to their outcome. So Jesus ministered twice to this man. I would have to say, have to do something with this man's faith and this faith. This man's faith was affected by the city he was in. So this shows us that we receive from God, not based on God's faith or Jesus faith, but based on ours. Amen. But Jesus mercy was so good, he just. He laid hands on him again because that's what that man's faith needed. That's what that man's faith called for. And Jesus met him at his level of faith. This was not a reflection of Jesus faith. This was a reflection of the man's faith. And this man's faith needed more than one time of ministry. It's okay to lay hands on somebody more than once if that's what their faith calls for. Meet them at their measure of faith because God wants them healed. Amen. Praise the Lord. Was this man's faith affected by being in the setting where the works of God were rejected? I would dare to say it was. So I would say this. We don't want to hold ourselves in settings where our faith is being affected negatively. No, you can't live in seclusion. But you can certainly choose who speaks into your life. You can't. Some may have members of their family, loved ones, relatives who don't believe like them. No, you can't. You just can't separate yourself from everybody. But you can certainly decide who you're gonna listen to and who you're gonna let be a voice in your life. And if you're not getting a companionship of faith in those near you, the local church that teaches faith will make up the difference. But you have to keep yourself in that setting. Amen. Hallelujah. Jesus was patient to keep working with the blind man. He was patient with him, thank God. God is patient to keep working with us. How many times we could have come along or should have come along earlier? I mean, we all could probably hide our face in embarrassment and say, it's taken me so long to get some things, to move into some things. But thank God he's patient. Amen. Sometimes it may take a while to get in, but he won't give up on us while we're learning to get in on his flow and cooperate with Him. Amen. We have to see this. That no one else had ever. In the. In the Old Testament, there was no record of anyone ever being healed of blindness. Yeah, this is something that the Messiah entered into a flow that makes him stand out, of course, from every other prophet, because others. There were people healed under the previous prophets in prior years. But this is the. This is under Jesus is the first time we see the eyes of the blind being opened. So when he got up and declared that in. We see it in Luke 4:18, and he says to open the eyes of the blind. That was a huge statement. And here, this man's a partaker of this messianic flow that now belongs to all of us. No, we're not the Messiah, but we've been raised and seated with him, and we have a shared authority with him. So we should have results. Now look at verse 26. It says, and Jesus sent him away to his house. Interesting. Telling him, do not even enter the village or tell anyone there. What's this? Now think. Jesus sent him to his house but says, don't enter the village. What's that tell you? He didn't live in the village. He didn't live in Bethsaida. He sent him to his house but says, don't tell anyone. And he says, don't even go there. Do not even enter the village or tell anyone there. Which goes to show, he lives in one place, but he was hanging out in another place. You need to hang out where your life has been set. Is that not true? He sent him away to his house, but then he said, don't enter the village. Well, then his house can't be in the village because he told him not to enter the village. When God puts you somewhere, it's for a reason. Don't leave the place he put you. This man was living outside of Bethsaida, but he moved himself into fellowship with those who were not part of his community and that community. Now, I'm not saying you can't visit people in different communities. Don't misunderstand me. I'm saying you have to make sure that in this situation, that community had rejected God and it affected him. And Jesus said, you go home. Don't go back to that place now. So it does matter where you go after you're healed. It does matter who you fellowship with after you're healed. Because he told him, don't go back to that city and don't even tell anyone of that city what happened to you. Why? Because they've rejected me. Don't cast your pearls before swine when people don't honor, don't value, don't love what you love. Don't take these wonderful, honorable things of God and share it with people who will just mock you. Yes, you have to be led by the Holy Ghost. And when people don't misunderstand me, there are people that don't know. And they may mock you, but they mock you out of ignorance. This city had knowledge, and they still chose to reject. So this was different, wasn't it? So evidently this man's home wasn't in the city. And the city had rejected the works of God and the things that Jesus did. So he was telling him. He wasn't just telling him, go home. He was telling him how to keep his healing. He was also telling him how to maintain what he had received. Because you have to know this. Everything you receive from God, the devil's trying to steal it from you. You will not automatically hold on to what God has blessed you with. It's not automatic. You have to hold onto it with faith and obedience. Now, what if this man would have done exactly opposite of what Jesus said and said, well, these buddies, you know, they brought me to Jesus. They're my buddies. I'm going to go talk to them. He would have lost his healing. Why? Because he would have gotten back on the territory of those who don't believe. And that unbelief would have diluted his faith. Faith can't hang out with unbelief and get stronger. Faith can't hang out with doubt. And those who reject the word or mock the word and make fun of the word and think that it's going to get bolder, it's not. It's going to be diluted. It's going to be weakened. And Jesus was telling him how to protect his faith by not going and being part of a community that had chosen to reject the works of God. And then he told him how to basically keep his healing. How you gonna keep your healing? You better protect your faith. Because we conduct business with God by faith. Amen. So I could say this one way of protecting what God's given you, stay around people with faith. Stay around people who love what you love, honor what you honor. And so we can see what this man did. Amen. What he received and what's available. Amen. I want to pray. Why don't we pray for those who are watching? Father, we thank you for the truth of your word. It's a light to our feet. It's a lamp to our path. And we're so grateful for the light of your word. Thank you for the fullness of the provision that you've made ours. Father, you said in your Word that the multitudes came to hear and be healed. So right now where you're at, because you've heard you can be healed if you'll receive the teaching of the word, you can receive the power that heals. And so right where you're at, we agree with you. For healing, we speak to bodies to be whole from the top of your head to the soles. Of your feet. Pain to leave, disease to leave. In Jesus name that bodies work and function properly. In Jesus name we believe with you. God bless you. Amen. We trust you've enjoyed this message. Visit us at defrainministries.org to learn of our upcoming meetings. Share your testimony, become a partner or visit our online store. This program has been made possible by the friends and partners of Dufresne Ministries.