02/05/10

Baggage that Prevents

For one of my classes I’ve been reading Calvin’s Institutes. I’m reading the chapters on predestination and it’s interesting on how Calvin started his discussion on predestination. He doesn’t start by addressing the topic, he starts by addressing the attitude and the hearts of people that prevent them from teaching it or that cause them to be opposed to the doctrine. Don’t worry, this entry will not be an treaty on the doctrine of election! In addressing the attitudes of people towards the doctrine of Predestination, Calvin wrote something that struck me as a reality in my life. He writes,

“But for those who are so cautious or fearful that they desire to bury predestination in order not to disturb the weak souls – with what color will they cloak their arrogance when they accuse God indirectly of stupid thoughtlessness, as if he had not foreseen the peril that they feel they have wisely met?” – Calvin, (pg. 926)

That quote caused me to reflect on the baggage that I have that cause me to bury difficult topics and difficult practices. In the people Calvin was addressing, it seems as if their baggage was a cautious fear of not disturbing the weak souls. But in being so cautious, they neglected one of the most profound doctrines in Scriptures. I admittedly share in the same baggage but for different reasons.

The other night I was studying with Jordan Hamel. He had just got back from the driving range with his accountability group and apparently he had hurt his hand in the process. As we were talking, he shared about how his hand really hurt and how he didn’t understand what God was doing through this whole incident. As the conversation went on, I knew I should have offered to pray for healing for him right there. Instead, I found myself reluctant to offer to pray for him.

On my way home I started to ask myself why I was so reluctant to pray for someone who obviously needs healing. Part of it was just a lack of faith but I began to realize that a lot of it was baggage that I was carrying. I’ve grown up in a Chinese Vineyard that takes on a lot of Pentecostal tendencies in its practice. By no means am I putting the blame on my church, but I’ve been also exposed to outside speakers and teachers who teach some funny things about healing or practice praying for the sick in a “strange” ways (sorry for the general description).

I’ve notice that after Bible college and now in seminary, I’ve been a lot more reluctant and cautious about the Charismatic stuff. It’s not that I don’t believe in them, it’s more like I’ve seen the abuses and I fear going into them because of the abuses. I know this reluctance is not healthy and I know it comes from baggage that I ultimately need to deal with. I mean I do believe that God can and does heal people today but I think the baggage in the past has caused me to overreact and be overly cautious. In my attempt to error on the side of caution, I’ve neglected something that is so foundational – praying for the sick.

On one hand, some might say “it’s because you’re in seminary that you’re losing your faith” and on the other hand I might argue, “it’s because I’m being exposed to other perspectives/camps that I see the abuses.” Nevertheless, there are things in Scriptures that are taught (predestination and healing) but our baggage can prevent us from teaching them or practicing them.

I suspect that if we’re all honest with ourselves, we’d say we have baggage of our own. Some baggage might be a distrust for other camps/denominations/perspective/education. Some baggage might be a fear of the things of God that are out of man’s control. Whatever the cases, it seems that if we are unaware of our baggage, we would be unwilling to enter into conversation with others, or even worse: we would deny the things of God through belief or practice. It is arrogant of us to look at the weaknesses of other camps or the areas that we differ without understanding our own baggage. We must be cautious that our baggage does not cause us to reject the truth of God that other camps have discovered.

Just some personal and convicting thoughts. That is all.

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4 Comments

Frank! says:

February 5, 2010 at 1:03 pm

Thanks John. I felt a similar thing happen to me in Bible College (where we met!) where I felt I couldn’t be open about my Calvinism. And is my Calvinist circles, I feel I can’t be open about the Charismatic stuff (healing) . Just recently someone close to me felt there was something going on in their home and I was trying to blow it off. I think I will go and right that wrong soon. Thanks for being honest.
Charlie says:

February 6, 2010 at 4:07 pm

Hey, Jonathan, I really enjoy reading your posts whenever I came stumbling across them~! They make me feel that I’m not alone in this searching on biblical balance of theology…
Anyways, I do want to share with you my opinion on praying for the sick~

I think I used to be reluctant to pray for the sick also, however God really enlightened me in an event I had on few summer ago. It’s funny how SOP just happened to be teaching about “healing” that summer on the tour also, in which I was very skeptical about… (I’m skeptical about anything, haha) During the whole time of the tour, I felt that I shouldn’t be going around “commanding” or “casting” out people’s sickness and “proclaiming” complete healing over people if I felt that it “may” not happen… actually I felt that it was against my theology and my conscience to claim a spiritual gift that I don’t actually possess… Anyways, the theology is not the purpose of me sharing right here. Just giving you some background, that’s all =p

Here comes the point… I think it was at the middle of the tour that I got really sick all of sudden… I could barely walk, talk, and even eat… I was in great pain… Guess what went through my mind? I wanted somebody to pray for me~! All of sudden I realize that praying for the sick is really an act of mercy rather than an act of miracle or a boost of faith! As the matter of fact, God doesn’t really heal Christians in the Bible, He healed non-believers so he can manifest His glory… also, in contrary, in stead of boosting believer’s faith through signs and wonders, God often rebuke us for having little faith… anyways…

What went through my mind was this… hey, since healing is an act of mercy from God (my theology tells me), whether He wants to heal me or not, I don’t know, but if I don’t pray, people don’t pray, how would I know? Also, it’s God’s desire for us to have compassion toward people. Whether or not God wants to heal that person I don’t know, but I know one thing, He wants us to show compassion toward people through all means possible, and these includes prayer~!! All of sudden, a thick cloud is lifted from the top of my head~

So, from the point on, I pray for people whenever wherever possible. I don’t go around “proclaiming” and “commanding”, but I pray that God would comfort, heal, and have mercy on the person~ And I know that through prayers the person would feel much comforted, encouraged, loved, and even en-strengthened in faith!! And hey, God is a God who heals and able to make the impossible possible~!!! So on that I could pray with peace and joy, and enjoy in the streams of his endless love and limitless power!! Love, is not fear.
Charlie says:

February 6, 2010 at 5:44 pm

realize that there are a few typos… dang… -_-
At the end I meant “love, is no fear”… anyways, you get my point…
jonathanhochan says:

February 6, 2010 at 10:33 pm

Charlie! You and I really need to get together and hang! I love what you wrote and for the most part I agree with you. I think for me my concern about praying for healing is less about the theology because I believe in it but more on the how to practice it in away that is God honoring and that is consistent with His Word.

I like you had to say about mercy. When God does anything, it’s mercy. Even to “boost faith” is God’s grace. My only concern is that sometimes we focus so much on seeing the sign and wonders that we’re not moved with compassion as Jesus was over and over when he saw the crowds.

If you get a chance you should read George Eldon Ladd’s book “The Gospel of the Kingdom” or his theology book “A Theology of the New Testament.” He does a good job at describing why Jesus healed, cast out demons, preached, and all the other stuff Jesus did. He holistic paradigm on why we ought to practice the things that Jesus did.

Anyway! Cheers friend. I really appreciate your heart for the Word!

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