I actually took this off the original thread as I didn't want to muddy the waters over there...
I always wondered about this too... This is the only example I can recall of this in the NT...
Mark 8:22-25 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
Why did this happen in this manner, was Jesus teaching us that it is possible for someone to be healed gradually, although in this instance it was within a few minutes of Jesus laying hands on him...
Why did Jesus have to lay hands on him twice and what is the lesson we learn from it?
I believe it has more to do with this...
Mark 6:5-6
Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief.
I mean here we have Jesus and He can't heal people. Realize that it does not say that He wouldn't heal them. It says He "could do" no mighty work.
Also, once again we do not have an example of a healing taking a few days, a month or two, a year. We either have (a) NOW (or 'that hour'), or we have (b) unbelief on the part of the receiver.
We also have the same dynamic at work with Peter.
Matthew 14:28-31
And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.
29 So He said, Come. And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, Lord, save me!
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?
Now look carefully. We have Jesus who is walking on water. Peter who has faith enough to step out. What made him sink? He looked at his surroundings. "He was afraid."
And Jesus told him what his problem was: "O you of little faith."
Jesus wasn't concerned with being politically correct. He wasn't concerned with being compassionate at this moment. He told it like it was: it was the believer's problem; it was "little faith."
Note also that Peter walked on water. Yes, he did indeed. He HAD THE FAITH for a moment. He had the faith big enough to walk on water until -- until he looked at his condition, his surroundings.
Why do we never question whether we are saved? Because we can't see it. We accept by faith the Word of the Gospel message that if we believe on the name of Jesus we WILL be saved.
Why do we sometimes not get healed? Because we can see our condition. And our condition knocks us down. Consider this....
Luke 8:40-42, 49-50
So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. 41 And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus feet and begged Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.
49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogues
house, saying to him, Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.[
i]
50 But when Jesus heard
it, He answered him, saying, Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.
Jairus comes to Jesus because his daughter is dying. Because of the woman with the issue of blood, he had to wait. But he had faith in Jesus. Then his circumstances showed up: "Your daughter is dead..."
Jesus IMMEDIATELY turned to him and said: "Do not be afraid! Only believe!!" In other words, do not let the circumstances that you can see, hear, taste, smell and touch knock down your faith.
It is about the believer's faith. It is about keeping it "big" faith -- Jesus turned immediately to him and said "Keep your faith big; do not let it become "little faith" and your daughter will be made well."
I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but if you are not being healed is it not God's fault (He's not waiting on something), it's not your neighbor's fault, it's not your spouses fault -- it is your fault. Sorry if that doesn't sound compassionate.
And it is not about doubting your faith: it is about taking "little faith" and buiding it up to be "big faith." Get to it.