Did Jesus heal because of compassion or to create "signs"?

9 And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth.

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind?

3 Jesus answered, Neither did this man sin, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

Vanellus said:

I got to thinking that Lazarus benefited from having Jesus as a friend

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Going by John 11:15, I would say Jesus on purpose did not heal Lazarus, so he would die, so then Jesus could raise him, that His disciples might believe.

You said:

both compassion and sign

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Well, one could say Jesus wanted to do a sign, by raising Lazarus. And He was having compassion on ones who were suffering about the death of Lazarus.

But I think the believing He wants is more than just accepting ideas and claims about Jesus.

Jesus spent time personally relating with people while He did signs and wonders. What really mattered was if people become personally bonded with Him and trust and obey Him in personal and tender sharing with "rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-30)

And this believing with trusting and sharing comes with personally relating with God, not only relating with signs we might see and then drawing conclusions. And as far as compassion goes, yes Jesus has compassion, but He is not only about helping people to suffer less. But He desires intimate and personal sharing while obeying how God rules us in His own peace as His family "in one body" >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

Vanellus said:

Last Sunday we had the reading and sermon based on the raising of Lazarus. I got to thinking that Lazarus benefited from having Jesus as a friend when many others would die without Jesus' intervention.

When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Mt 14:13,14 NIV

Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name Jn 2:23 NIV

Of course, it can be both compassion and sign.

The issue being if we say "compassion" what about all the other people?

With verses like:
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15For he says to Moses,
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

the issue here is salvation (of the Jews). Jesus healed the sick in the crowd without exception They were healed because they were physically close to Jesus (and had gone out or been carried to meet Him).

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Lord Jesus healed all who came to Him. We read about only a tiny fraction of what He did during His ministry. He healed Jews, the Gentile's servant and the despised (by the Jews) Samaritan. That's what we know about. How many others? John had this to say:

John 21:25 "There are many more things that Jesus did. If all of them were written down, I suppose that not even the world itself would have space for the books that would be written."

It seems to me that if "creating signs" was Christ's purpose, he would have healed people who were much more prominent in society than those he did heal.

Vanellus said:

...
Of course, it can be both compassion and sign.

The issue being if we say "compassion" what about all the other people?....

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I think it was both. But I think the main thing was to prove who he is and also to show that people should fear death of a body, it is not the end. But, in Biblical point of view this “life” is the first death and not even meant to last forever. The goal is in eternal life with God, which is why:

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matt. 10:28

Even when the effect was to be a sign it doesn't do away with the fact that it was to show mercy too.

Vanellus said:

Last Sunday we had the reading and sermon based on the raising of Lazarus. I got to thinking that Lazarus benefited from having Jesus as a friend when many others would die without Jesus' intervention.

When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Mt 14:13,14 NIV

Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name Jn 2:23 NIV

Of course, it can be both compassion and sign.

The issue being if we say "compassion" what about all the other people?

With verses like:
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15For he says to Moses,
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

the issue here is salvation (of the Jews). Jesus healed the sick in the crowd without exception They were healed because they were physically close to Jesus (and had gone out or been carried to meet Him).

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Jesus healed out of compassion, but he also didn't miss the opportunity to also use healing to teach.

1213 said:

I think it was both. But I think the main thing was to prove who he is....

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On that point, then, how do you respond to my observation that most of the people we see him healing in Scripture were not very prominent in society and, indeed, were the opposite?

IF Christ's intention was to show a sign, he would logically have done what he did before the biggest audiences possible, and that includes healing people that everyone in Galilee or Judea knew about. That's what showing a sign is all about--having it be seen or known.

Albion said:

...IF Christ's intention was to show a sign, he would logically have done what he did before the biggest audiences possible, and that includes healing people that everyone in Galilee or Judea knew about. That's what showing a sign is all about--having it be seen or known.

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Sorry, I don’t think it necessarily has to be shown to all, it could also be enough to show it to those who it is meant for, to those in whom it has the desired effect.

But, by what the Bible tells, it was known well in the country, because people brought sick to him to be healed.

1213 said:

Sorry, I don’t think it necessarily has to be shown to all, it could also be enough to show it to those who it is meant for, to those in whom it has the desired effect.

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In theory, yes. I suppose we could call such very personal events by the word "signs." However, they seem to lack a common theme, leaving us with some sort of a collection of different "signs" that don't reveal much of anything special to the Hebrews as a whole. So that figures into why I concluded as I did.

Albion said:

It seems to me that if "creating signs" was Christ's purpose, he would have healed people who were much more prominent in society than those he did heal.

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I don't think so. Healing people who were not prominent made for a more spectacular sign. Prominent people often got medical healing for some of their ills so healing them would not have made as large a statement.

Albion said:

It seems to me that if "creating signs" was Christ's purpose, he would have healed people who were much more prominent in society than those he did heal.

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I don't think so. Healing people who were not prominent made for a more spectacular sign. Prominent people often got medical healing for some of their ills so healing them would not have made as large a statement.

grasping the after wind said:

I don't think so. Healing people who were not prominent made for a more spectacular sign. Prominent people often got medical healing for some of their ills so healing them would not have made as large a statement.

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But that sidesteps the point of a "sign." When that word is used, it normally refers to a big event that is apprehended widely. The Star of Bethlehem, for instance. Or God placing the rainbow in the sky.

Albion said:

But that sidesteps the point of a "sign." When that word is used, it normally refers to a big event that is apprehended widely. The Star of Bethlehem, for instance.

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Healing a leper is a big event but I don't think that most of the signs spoken of in the Gospels especially in John's Gospel are such big events. What signs was John speaking of if not the healings, miracles like walking on water in front of a small group of disciples and feeding the crowd with a few fish and a bit of bread, being visited by Elijah and Moses on the mountain in front of only a small group of disciples or showing The disciples and later Thomas His wounds in the upper room. None of those were events like the Star of Bethlehem which btw was not something Jesus would have been given credit for at the time
John 20 is full of very small but impressive signs and ends with
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.

So...not mainly out of compassion. (?)

Jesus, while on earth, said look at the signs and wonders "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in Him. John 10:37-38

And "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." Matt 9:36

Jesus healed those who came to him or asks on behalf of someone else.

Im of the opinion that Jesus acts of healing, as well as other miracles, were signs.


Matthew 9:1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”

4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house.


John 20:30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name