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Healing and the Scriptures

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Title: Healing and the Scriptures


1
Healing and the Scriptures
  • An Exchange with Fr. Seán Charles Martin, S.T.D.
  • Associate Professor of Biblical Studies
  • Aquinas Institute of Theology
  • St. Louis, Missouri

2
The Prophets and Healing
  • The Prophets (Nebiim) constitute one of the
    three major categories of what we call the Old
    Testament, along with the Law (Torah) and the
    Writings (Ketubim)
  • Prophetic literature includes those books
    ascribed to any given prophet (e.g., Amos,
    Isaiah, Jeremiah) or those books which include
    stories about the prophets (e.g., 1 Kings and the
    stories about Elijah, or 2 Kings and the stories
    about Elisha
  • The most common term in the Old Testament for
    prophet is nabi
  • In 1 Kings and 2 Kings both Elijah and Elisha are
    commonly referred to as man of God (ish ha
    elohim)

3
1 Kings 1717-24
  • Narrative context Elijah is depicted here as a
    thaumaturge or miracle worker
  • Thaumaturgy (miracle working) was one of the
    signs in ancient Israel (and the ancient Middle
    East) of leadership
  • Literary form the miracle story
  • Bad situation
  • The word or deed that reverses the bad situation
  • Proof of efficacy
  • Reaction of the bystanders

4
1 Kings 1717-24 (continued)
  • This is a poor family the woman is a widow, and
    her son is a minor
  • The illness of the son has economic consequences
    for his mother
  • The restoration of the sons health means
    stability has been restored to the entire
    household

5
1 Kings 48-37
  • Elisha, like his mentor Elijah, is here depicted
    as a thaumaturge
  • The miracle is two-fold
  • Fertility is granted to the woman (or her
    husband)
  • Life is restored to the youngster
  • Economic implications of the two-fold miracle

6
Psalm 102 A Prayer for Healing
  • Psalms are the prayers and hymns of ancient
    Israel
  • The Book of Psalms includes laments, pilgrimage
    songs (the Songs of Ascent), psalms of praise,
    royal psalms, wisdom psalms, historical psalms
    all of which were typically committed to memory
  • Psalm 102 is a lament

7
Characteristics of the lament
  • Invocation (1022-3)
  • Description of need (1024-12)
  • Reasons why God should respond (10213-18 26-29)
  • Petition (10224-25)
  • Caesura
  • Praise to God for having heard the prayer
    (10219-23)

8
The ritual setting of lamentation
  • The miseries that provoke lamentation
  • Laments and the Temple
  • Animal sacrifice at the Temple
  • Priests as temple functionaries and agents of
    healing

9
Preliminary conclusions
  • In Israel, as in the rest of the ancient Near
    East, the restoration of health was seen as an
    act of God
  • Prophets and priests, as intercessory figures,
    were important conduits of healing
  • Prayers for healing were frequently tied to
    rituals of sacrifice
  • The restoration of health had consequences for
    the family or community to which one belonged

10
Jesus and healing
  • Jesus as a thaumaturge see Acts 222-24
  • Jesus the exorcist Mark 121-28
  • Jesus the healer Mark 621-43

11
Mark 621-43 the sick woman and the dead girl
  • Literary form intercalation (a story within a
    story)
  • The request to heal the daughter of Jairus
    (621-24)
  • The woman with the hemorrhage (622-34)
  • The healing/raising of the daughter of Jairus
    (63543)
  • Comparisons and contrasts
  • 12 years
  • A powerful synagogue official and a powerless
    woman
  • Old age and youth
  • Healing as a sign of the Kingdom

12
Healing in the early Christian community
  • Acts 31-10
  • Peter heals in the name of Jesus
  • Acts 932-35
  • Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you.
  • Healing as the power of Jesus made manifest
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