Faith Healers—Faithful or Healers?

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By Tracy Phua, 23, Singapore

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please! Do you wake every morning in shame and despair to discover your pillow is covered with hair?” sings young Todd in one of my favorite songs of all time, Pirelli’s Miracle Elixir by Stephen Sondheim from the 2007 box office hit Sweeney Todd—The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Despite its dark and gloomy setting that is characteristic of all Tim Burton films, I enjoyed the movie tremendously with its fright night-esque tunes and the witty lyrics that came with it. In this particular song, Pirelli’s Miracle Elixir, a young boy who has been made to work for Pirelli (a cheat who is out to con people to buy his hair potions), sings about the product and gets other people to buy it, promising amazing results for those who suffer from hair problems.

I can’t help but muse about the parallels that can be drawn to the faith healers of our day. Smith Wiggles Worth was famous during the 20th century and so were others such as Aimee Semple McPherson and Benny Hinn. However, one thing that stood out from the latter two personalities is that they did not discount the fact that the “healee” had to begin with having faith in God in order for he or she to get healed. The faith healer is merely a tool that God uses to perform healings.

In John 5:1-13, we see Jesus healing a lame man who had been “sick for thirty-eight years” (v. 5) in an instant. Once the words came out of His mouth, the man “rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking” (v. 9). In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus healed ten lepers on his way to Jerusalem. He said to the one grateful leper, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you” (v.19).

The list of healing accounts goes on. From these accounts, we learn something about Jesus. He was not expected to heal them; in fact, He did so only because of His love toward the people in need. He is compassionate, and He heals in His own time. In faith healing sessions, sometimes we forget that by expecting God to work within a schedule, we are manipulating God. He doesn’t need our commands to heal others; we should be the ones who listen to His commands!

I’m not discounting faith-healing convention. What I’m trying to get at is this—it is faith in Jesus Christ that heals, not the human being who laid hands on you. God worked through that person to get you healed, and praise Him for choosing to work! God is great and mighty, He created the heavens and the earth, He could have chosen not to heal you, but He did. And even if He doesn’t, He is still worthy of our praise—simply because He is God.

Put your faith in God—who although He is unpredictable, is always reliable.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.
Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.
—Psalm 62:5-8 niv—