A Portrait of Jesus
Jesus as Healer
More healing stories are told about Jesus than any other figure in the Jewish tradition. He must have been a remarkable healer.
-Marcus Borg
On historical grounds, it is virtually indisputable that Jesus was a healer and exorcist because:
Earliest
sources contain widespread attestation of Jesus' healings.
Healings and exorcisms were common in Jesus' time.
Even Jesus' opponents did not challenge his powers of healing, although they misinterpreted it as coming from "Beelzebul, the prince of demons" (Mark 3:22-27, Matthew 12:22-29, Luke 11:14-23).
The healing stories reflect the kinds of situations Jesus encountered and things he did although the historical accuracy of details in the healing stories may vary.
Types of healings
The types of healings attributed to Jesus in the gospel traditions include:
- fever
- leprosy
- paralysis
- withered hand
- bent back
- hemorrhage
- deafness and dumbness
- blindness
- exorcisms
Jesus' healings illustrate the compassion of God for outcasts and the priority of people over laws.
The source of Jesus' gifts as a healer was his experience of the sacred.
Jesus
was aware of the power of the spirit flowing through him.
After a woman touched the hem of his garment in order to be healed, Jesus knew that power had gone out of him (Mark 5:30).
Matthew and Luke both report Jesus as saying:
"If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matthew 12:28, Luke 11:20).
Healing / curing
Medical anthropologists make a distinction between healing and curing:
Curing goes with disease which refers to the actual physical condition of a person.
Healing goes with illness which refers to the social meanings attached to that condition.
Some contemporary Jesus scholars say Jesus only healed illness, not cured disease. Marcus Borg's sense is that Jesus did both.
Questions to ponder...
The healing stories reflect Jesus' intimate, powerful relationship with God and his great compassion. He often healed with words, touch, and physical means.
How does your relationship with God enable you to be a compassionate, healing presence for people today?
Wisdom
Dimension
Wisdom comes in two forms: conventional and alternative. Jesus was
an alternative wisdom teacher.
Introduction
A Portrait of Jesus Introduction
Research and Scholarship Perspective
Lenses through which Borg sees Jesus
The Pre- and Post-Easter Jesus
Compare Pre- and Post-Easter Jesus
Summaries of the Pre-Easter Jesus
Spirit Dimension
Context: Spirit Persons in Many Cultures
Wisdom Dimension
Context: Wisdom Teachers in Many Cultures
Political Dimension
Context: Social and Cultural World of Jesus
The Post-Easter Jesus
What Difference Does it Make?
Resources for Further Study
Books and Articles by Marcus Borg
FaithFutures Foundation: integrating faith and scholarship
Living the Questions, a progressive 12-week DVD and web curriculum to help participants discover the relevance of Christianity in the 21st Century and what a meaningful faith can look like in today's world. Features Marcus Borg and 14 other scholars and pastors.
New Testament Gateway, created by Dr. Mark Goodacre, University of Birmingham, UK
The Jesus Seminar, created by Dr. Mahlon Smith, Jesus Seminar Fellow and faculty at Rutgers University
Virtual Religion Index, created by Dr. Mahlon Smith, Rutgers University
Westar Institute, official Jesus Seminar site; includes churches open to the scholarship of the Jesus Seminar