Healing is essentially a spiritual transaction, but it results in the repair and restoration of ailing bodies and minds. God uses several means for communicating healing to the sick through believers: the spoken word, anointing with oil, laying on of hands, anointed cloths. Most often, God uses some form of loving touch as the medium for imparting healing and strength into the sick and injured. As we examine some of the many Bible examples of physical healing, we discover that hands were usually the means used. In this way God showed himself willing to become thoroughly involved with His people and their needs.

Jesus’ involvement with the people brought total release from both spiritual and physical distress.

“Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. And devils [demons] also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God”. (Luke 4:40, 41). 

 Jesus spoke the word first to enable people to believe as He laid hands upon them.

“And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself, And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God”. (Luke 13:11-13). 

 Sometimes the simple touch of His healing love was enough to bring healing.

“And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them “. (Matthew 8:14,15). 

 When people touched Jesus in faith, virtue left Him to enter them as healing.

“And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years …. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue [or power] had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?”. (Mark 5:25, 27-30). 

 

Notice that Jesus himself perceived the virtue leaving Him. He knew someone had been healed. He recognized the touch of faith and felt literal energy being released from within himself. Many attempt to explain healing as merely self-hypnosis, a convincing of ourselves that something has happened. But this account clearly shows us that healing is an objective transaction-something really happens that is more than in our imaginations. 

 Healing energy was transmitted from the body of Paul to clothes.

“And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them”. (Acts 19:11, 12). 

 

The relationship of loving rapport between the one laying hands on the sick and the sick person himself is important, but it is not all there is to it. Healing is more than positive suggestion. Something very real was imparted into these clothes and taken to the sick who never saw Paul in person. This was just as effective as the laying on of his hands in their presence. Healing is evidently as real a power in this universe as electricity or radium.