Spiritual Speculation Space
Healing
January 8, 2025
Discussion Questions
These questions are just to help get the discussion going. They do not need to be discussed in order and conversation outside of the bounds of these questions is welcome.
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Have you ever encountered someone claiming to be a faith healer?
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Have you ever encountered healing experiences that don't seem to have empirical explanations, either personally or for someone you know well?
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If God heals people supernaturally, why are some healed but not others? How does your perspective on this square with ideals like equity and compassion?
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What do you make of the many accounts of Jesus physically healing people in the gospels? What do you make of the Luke 9 passage below?
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​The Harvard article giving an overview of the placebo effect linked below says, "experts have concluded that reacting to a placebo is not proof that a certain treatment doesn't work, but rather that another, non-pharmacological mechanism may be present." Is it possible that this mechanism is what many religions, including Christianity, would call "faith"?
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The first healing in the Matthew 9 passage below cites faith as being the source of healing for the woman who touched Jesus's cloak. Does this fit with the idea that the placebo effect is another name for the healing mechanism of faith?
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The second healing (or resurrection) in the Matthew 9 passage below does not cite any faith mechanism. What are your thoughts on stories like this that have no explanation beyond miracles?
Discussion Background Materials
Material listed here is intended to enhance discussion. The inclusion of these materials is not an endorsement of their authors or the organizations publishing them. We encourage you to fact check any claims made in these materials.
Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey: no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there. 5 Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
18 While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. 20 Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, 21 for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that moment. 23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26 And the report of this spread through all of that district.