Healing Ministry as the Ongoing Work of Jesus Through His Church - Lesson 7
- Pr Enos Mwakalindile
- Aug 21
- 6 min read
Key Text: “They will place their hands on the sick, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:18)
Introduction
The ministry of healing did not end when Jesus ascended to heaven. Through His body—the Church—He continues to touch the wounded, lift the broken, and breathe life into the weary. Healing is not a historical footnote but a living stream of God’s grace flowing through every believer. This final lesson crowns our journey by anchoring the healing ministry within the mission of the Church. It’s a call to action, a summons to carry forward the compassion of Christ with hands ready to serve and hearts open to the Spirit.
1. The Church Is the Body Through Which Christ Heals Today
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)
When Christ walked the earth, healing flowed directly from His touch. Now, He works through His Church. Every believer becomes a vessel, a living conduit of Christ’s mercy. Just as the head directs the body, Christ as the head of the Church leads His people into acts of compassion, prayer, and healing. This profound truth reshapes ministry: we don’t merely ask Jesus to heal—we are His hands moving to heal, His mouth speaking peace, His presence comforting the afflicted (Colossians 1:18).
2. Healing Ministry Is a Core Element of the Great Commission
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation… they will place their hands on the sick, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:15,18)
The call to heal is not an optional extra—it is woven into the Great Commission. Proclamation and demonstration go hand in hand. Healing confirms the reality of the kingdom of God breaking into the present. When we pray for the sick, we enact the message we preach: that Jesus reigns over sin, death, and disease. Like the early Church, we are called to be witnesses in both word and deed, announcing the good news not only with sermons but with acts of mercy (Acts 5:12-16).
3. Spiritual Gifts Empower the Church to Heal Holistically
“To one there is given through the Spirit… gifts of healing by that one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:7–9)
The Holy Spirit equips the Church with diverse gifts, including healing, to build up the body and manifest the compassion of Christ. Healing, in its fullest sense, is not only physical but also emotional, relational, and spiritual. Just as Jesus healed bodies, calmed troubled minds, and forgave sin, so the Church—empowered by the Spirit—is called to bring shalom: wholeness in every area of life. These gifts are not for spectacle but for service, flowing in humility and guided by love (1 Peter 4:10).
4. The Healing Church Stands in the Gap for the Wounded World
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.” (Isaiah 61:1)
In a world marred by trauma, injustice, and despair, the Church is called to be a sanctuary for healing. Just as Jesus welcomed the bleeding woman, touched the leper, and raised the dead, so must we embrace the wounded, the overlooked, and the dying. We are priests of compassion, bearing one another’s burdens and lifting them before God in prayer and action (Galatians 6:2). This is not reserved for specialists—it is the call of the whole people of God.
5. Healing Is a Sign of the Inbreaking Kingdom of God
“Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” (Luke 10:9)
Every act of healing is an announcement: God’s kingdom is near. The kingdom Jesus proclaimed was not only future but present—manifested in power, love, and wholeness. Healing thus becomes both prophetic and pastoral. It speaks to a world in pain that God has not abandoned us; He is near, and His reign has begun. The Church carries this kingdom torch, bringing light into darkened lives, bearing witness through compassion, intercession, and hope (Matthew 12:28).
6. Perseverance in Prayer Reveals the Character of a Healing Church
“Pray continually… Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:12)
Not every prayer leads to instant healing—but every prayer deepens the Church’s dependence on God. A healing Church is not defined by the number of miracles but by the faithfulness of its prayers. We keep showing up. We keep laying hands. We keep hoping. Like the persistent widow (Luke 18:1–8), we trust God’s justice, timing, and love, refusing to let delay quench our desire to see people made whole.
7. Communal Worship and Sacraments Cultivate Healing Environments
“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them…” (James 5:14–15)
Healing is not a performance—it’s a practice, often unfolding in the sacred rhythms of community life. Worship, the Lord’s Supper, confession, and anointing with oil are not mere rituals; they are channels of grace where heaven meets earth. In these communal spaces, wounded souls find forgiveness, peace, and restoration. The Church becomes a holy hospital where Christ Himself walks the aisles, unseen but powerfully present.
8. Healing Ministry Strengthens Discipleship and Maturity
“So that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:17)
Healing is not only for comfort but for transformation. As believers experience or participate in healing, they grow in faith, surrender, and courage. They learn to trust God in suffering and serve others with empathy. A healing community raises not just comforted people, but empowered disciples—equipped to go and do likewise. This is the fruit of maturity: love expressed not just in belief, but in bold, compassionate action (Hebrews 5:14).
9. The Church’s Healing Witness Confronts the World’s Broken Systems
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)
Healing is not only personal—it is prophetic. The Church, in its healing witness, challenges systems that cause harm: poverty, injustice, violence, and exclusion. When the Church builds clinics, feeds the hungry, shelters the abused, and defends the vulnerable, it becomes the hands of Christ rebuking evil and proclaiming a better world. Healing is justice, mercy, and grace in motion. It’s how the Church enacts resurrection in real time (Isaiah 58:6–12).
10. The Healing Church Prepares the World for the Final Restoration
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes… there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” (Revelation 21:4)
Every healing on earth is a whisper of heaven. Though we do not see full restoration now, our work anticipates it. The Church, in her healing ministry, gives the world a foretaste of the new creation. We serve, knowing that one day Christ will complete what we began. We wipe tears now because we believe in the day when God will wipe them all. Healing is not only mercy for today—it is hope for tomorrow.
Discussion Questions
What does it mean for the Church to be the “body” through which Jesus heals today? (1 Corinthians 12:27)
How can local churches embody both word and deed in their healing ministries? (Mark 16:15–18)
What role do spiritual gifts play in sustaining a healing movement within the Church? (1 Corinthians 12:7–9)
How does healing ministry resist systems of injustice and offer prophetic hope? (Isaiah 58:6–12)
How does hope in final restoration (Revelation 21:4) shape your daily ministry and prayers?
Spiritual Practices & Assignments
Join or organize a prayer group focused on healing in your church or neighborhood.
Identify local issues that need “healing” (violence, addiction, loneliness) and create a ministry response plan.
Reflect on your gifts: how might God want to use you in a healing way?
Write a journal entry imagining your church as a “healing center”—what would need to change?
Visit or support a Christian clinic, counseling center, or hospital. Bring encouragement, prayer, or tangible help.
Conclusion
Healing ministry is not a side note—it is central to Christ’s ongoing mission through His Church. As we step into this calling, we offer not just prayers, but presence; not just rituals, but radical love. We become living signs of the Kingdom that is both already and not yet, anticipating the day when every tear will be wiped away.
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