Shadow Healing

Amahl and the Night Visitors

It was 1994 and I was in a Christmas show call “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” An opera where I played a young crippled boy who is visited by the three magi on their way to see Jesus, and he is healed, and it’s a Christmas miracle!

It is a boy soprano part… and it was SO high. All the way at the top. Parts like “Look mother I can walk, I can dance, I can run!”

But other Christmas miracles were happening to 14 year-old Dusty. Strange changes in my body. And over the course of that show my voice changed.

I remember the strain as suddenly, over the course of the show, those notes became unreachable, sometimes dramatically “Look mother, I can *low voice* WALK...”

How frustrating and embarassing it was to be, over and over again, trying to do this thing that was now impossible. It used to be possible… but now it isn’t.

Isn’t it frustrating to be trying to do something that isn’t possible anymore?

Trying over and over to do something. It HAS to work. I am staring at the example. I am doing EXACTLY what that guy did and mine isn’t working!

Which takes us to our text:

Shadow Healing

Acts 5:12–16 ESV

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Acts 5:

Woah. What a crazy experience. God is moving so powerfully, people’s shadows are healing other peoples?

Now, there have already been a lot of miracles in Acts, and there are going to be a lot more coming… but we have hinted at this question, but I have chatted with some of you and this is a real and pressing one:

Is this kind of thing possible anymore?

Has anyone been healed by my shadow? Or healed in this kind of immediate way, where crowds are coming together knowing that they will be healed… and then all of them are being healed.

If it is possible: why aren’t we experiencing it now?

And if it isn’t, I want to know, because how frustrating it is to be trying to do something that is no longer possible!

Is this kind of thing possible anymore?

Look Into the Shadows

Afraid to ask? Afraid to be disappointed?

Something I used to do that I can’t do anymore.

I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to too.

Waiting for my kids to ask?

Is it possible or am I just doing it wrong?

We can make excuses for "why not" because we are afraid of being disappointed.

Or we can do what the early church did for and pray: "God, stretch out your hand to heal, and [may] signs and wonders be performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

"God, stretch out your hand to heal, and [may] signs and wonders be performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

Boldness to preach. Boldness to ask.

The signs and wonders done through the apostles led to conversions. Even superstition in Peter’s shadow was a starting point to healing and faith.

Signs and wonders. Are they possible today? Are they helpful today?

What was their purpose? To authenticate the Word.

What was their focus? To speak God’s word boldly.

We are looking at the early church’s highlight reel. Was everyone doing these kinds of miracles? No, it was primarily (though not exclusively) the apostles.

Why do I search for excuses for why God won’t do now what He did then?

Praying for signs and wonders

Acts 4:20 ESV

for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Acts 4:29–30 ESV

And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Acts 4:29-

Acts 5:12–13 ESV

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

Acts 5:12 ESV

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.

Acts 5:

Acts 5:13 ESV

None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

Who is “they”? There is debate here, some people want to picture the whole church being there… but then who is the “none of the rest”? It seems like “they” refers to the apostles, and the other believers were afraid to enter. Recall the last fear that “great fear” was upon the believers after the events with Ananias and Sapphira.

But whoever was there, “many signs and wonders were regularly done”. Regularly. Often. On a normal and predictable basis. Not one-off surprises, unexpected answers to prayers made without confidence or really expectation. On the regular, miracles among the people.

What was the result of the signs and wonders?

:14

Acts 5:14 ESV

And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

How many? Not a count, but a comparison. More than ever! That’s a lot. more than on Petecost? More then after the lame man by the beautiful gate? More than ever!

The fervor grew such that

Acts 5:15 ESV

so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

Ludicrous superstition!

Was Peter’s shadow actually healing anyone? To be clear, this was something that people were thinking, and the text doesn’t say that Peter’s shadows had super powers.

This is reminiscent of the woman touching the fringe of Jesus’ cloak. Or later in Acts, people will gather handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched Paul, and just those would heal the sick and drive out demons.

Ludicrous superstition… but in those other two cases the amazing thing is that it worked! We have talked about how God looks for a starting place. Is that how we expect healing and faith and all of it to work? No, but it appears to be a starting place in these moments.

The people believed that just having Peter’s shadow cross over them would be enough to heal them.

Acts 5:16 ESV

The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

People were being healed! But not just those who made it into Peter’s shadow, but “they were all healed” .

(Really tempting to say this is about power and authority, how far does Peter’s shadow travel. How does one develop influence, and influence heals. Shadow’s are caused by approaching the light and if we aproach the light we too will cast a long shadow, and that shadow will have power!) I love that image, I love that metaphor, I think there are such great true things to build from that… but I don’t think the text is saying that.

I think Luke is pulling out a ludicrous superstition here.

And people were healed!

Luke 8:44 ESV

She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.

Did Jesus have magic garments? No, don’t think so.

Acts 19:11–12 ESV

And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.

Did Paul have magic handkerchiefs? No, I don’t think so.

Acts 5:16 ESV

The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

People were being healed! But not just those who made it into Peter’s shadow, but “they were all healed” .

People were being healed! But not just those who made it into Peter’s shadow, but “they were all healed” .

Is this kind of thing possible anymore?

Cessationism

Signs and wonders ceased when the apostles died.

These kinds of miracles were to establish the kingdom, the church, in those early times. And God was doing great things all over the place in a special way.

They weren’t “normal” anymore as a pattern of ministry.

There are verses they appeal to, about the sufficiency of God’s word, about “evil generations seeking after signs...” They point to most of the signs and wonders being done by the apostles themselves (though not exclusively).

The signs and wonders done through the apostles led to conversions. Even superstition in Peter’s shadow was a starting point to healing and faith.

And most of all, they look around them and say “Well, I don’t see that happening now, it must not be possible anymore.”

I am no longer a boy soprano.

And this kind of normative common-place signs and wonders as a form of evangelism no longer happens.

Continuationism

Signs and wonders are fully available today… you’re just doing it wrong! You lack faith.

Signs and wonders are fully available today… you’re just doing it wrong! You lack faith.

Or you lack expectation. You don’t ask so you don’t receive! (as James said). And when you ask, you ask with wrong motives. For your own pleasures.

You are doing it wrong!

Gideon says “where are the heroes of old?” He is that hero.

David says “I remember your wonders of old.”

And there is some real Scriptural support here. Paul lists out spiritual gifts, healing among them, with the clear expectation that this is part of the makeup, the DNA of the church.

All the people in the Old Testament were looking back on the “highlight” reel of the past. When you see it all lined up with the understanding of how it all worked out, you see the hand of God so very clearly.

When you’re in the middle of it… not so much. This has always been the experience of the people of God.

Others beside the apostles start doing signs and wonders, giving this image of spreading power.

And we do have testimonies, sometimes our own, sometimes from the front lines of the mission field, sometimes testimony that we take with a great deal of skepticism… but we have testimony of the miraculous.

So which is it???

Great scholars sit on both sides of this question.

Continuationism vs. Cessationism

We can make it a bit easier on ourselves by challenging the premise a bit.

At the least, we overestimate the density, the common-ness of miracles in the Bible.

Gideon says “where are the heroes of old?” He is that hero.

David says “I remember your wonders of old.”

All the people in the Old Testament were looking back on the “highlight” reel of the past. When you see it all lined up with the understanding of how it all worked out, you see the hand of God so very clearly.

When you’re in the middle of it… not so much. This has always been the experience of the people of God.

Why do I search for excuses for why God won’t do now what He did then?

Signs and wonders. Are they possible today? Are they helpful today?

What was their focus? To speak God’s word boldly.

We are looking at the early church’s highlight reel. Was everyone doing these kinds of miracles? No, it was primarily (though not exclusively) the apostles.

Why do I search for excuses for why God won’t do now what He did then?

Navigating the Tension

“I want to have my keel deep and stable in the once-for-all biblical revelation of God, and I want to have my sails unfurled to every movement of God's Spirit upon the deeps.” -John Piper

How do we navigate the tension?

We must, at the least, honor the uniqueness of Jesus and the apostles, honor that powerful moment in history. It was powerful, it was special, it was inauguration of the Kingdom!

… but I want to be open to revival among us, power here now. Sails unfurled!

Be open to revival among us, power here now.

Maybe we overestimate the number of miracles that happened in Scripture...

Gideon says “where are the heroes of old?” He is that hero.

David says “I remember your wonders of old.”

All the people in the Old Testament were looking back on the “highlight” reel of the past. When you see it all lined up with the understanding of how it all worked out, you see the hand of God so very clearly.

When you’re in the middle of it… not so much. This has always been the experience of the people of God.

But we certainly underestimate miracles happening among us. We read on the greatest miracles happening in the world, collected by a scholar writing at least 30 years later. Best of the best.

How many miraculous answers to prayer have we experienced? I know we see that as a “smaller” scale or “easier” miracle then what we read about here with magic shadows. But that woman can walk! That baby is alive! In a million churches, in hundreds of countries, through Christians throughout the world. Throw away 90% of them because you think they are of questionable reliability, fine, there are still thousands and more miracles happening around us!

Point and purpose of signs and wonders: believers. Gospel.

I want to return to how the early church handled this. They too saw the apostles doing great miracles. We focused two weeks ago on the first part of their prayer. Today we focus on the second.

The early church had the courage to ask.

The Courage to Ask

With no evidence that “everyone” could do these things. Maybe with every reason to expect it was only the apostles. These are the magic 12, the ones who were with Jesus for all the things, commissioned by Jesus, breathed on by Jesus. Those 12 collected together at Pentecost on stage.

But they saw what the apostles were doing first hand, and they had the courage to ask. The boldness to ask for boldness (we talked about that part). But they weren’t shy about asking for the miracles too.

Praying for signs and wonders

Acts 4:29–30 ESV

And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Yes, give us boldness. Yes, let us preach. But also boldly asking that God heal and do signs and wonders.

Yes, give us boldness. Yes, let us preach. But also boldly asking that God heal and do signs and wonders.

Not that we might be glorified, but that He might be.

Over and over, Luke stresses in the books of Acts the purpose and outcome of these signs and wonders.

They authenticate the Word. They are a starting point for faith. They begin conversations that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. They are powerful in evangelism, powerful in breaking the shell of disinterest or even disdain. They open doors.

The purpose of healing, of signs and wonders is to open doors to the Word.

The purpose of healing, of signs and wonders is not, generally, to make us feel better. That’s hard to hear. Every one the apostles healed that day, they got sick again. They died. It was a temporary taste of healing… but it was temporary.

The purpose of healing, of signs and wonders is not, generally, to make us feel better. That’s hard to hear. Every one the apostles healed that day, they got sick again. They died. It was a temporary taste of healing… but it was temporary.

God doesn’t make the apostles lives easy. They are going to get imprisoned… and not always (or even often) will they be miraculously freed. They are going to get sick… and stay sick. and almost every one of them is going to be executed, most of them painfully.

I am afraid to ask because I am afraid of being disappointed!

What a sad and small reason to miss out on what God may want to do through me. What God may want to do through us!

God, would you stretch out your hand to heal! May signs and wonders be performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

“I want to have my keel deep and stable in the once-for-all biblical revelation of God, and I want to have my sails unfurled to every movement of God's Spirit upon the deeps.” -John Piper