Here is that Mark 16: 18 verse again, “they shall lays hands on the sick and they shall recover.” We have to take that literally. People are longing to see Jesus and how they see him is through us. Jesus saving, Jesus healing, Jesus baptizing, and Jesus loving.
In the first couple of chapters we meet 2 people, the woman of Canaan (Matthew 15:21-28), and the man with the withered hand (Luke 6:6-11). Two different people with two different approaches to God. Each of them were healed and each of them had to do something to be healed. We often refer to it as “working the Word”. Let’s look at each of these examples and what they had to overcome, how they stepped out in faith, and how they received their healing.
The Woman of Canaan:
Not a daughter of the covenant, a heathen of the worst kind. Not wanted, Nothing working in her favor, exhausted all means of getting better, yet she heard about this Jesus, who said “come all ye who are burdened and heavy laden.” She went. Jesus completely ignored her. At that point she could have been offended and left, her daughter still sick, her feelings hurt, and telling everyone this Jesus is not what everyone says he is. She didn’t, she lifted her voice one more time and say, “Lord, help me!”. This time Jesus didn’t ignore her, he insulted her. Now she definitely has a reason to leave offended and she didn’t. She knew that even if what he said was true, he still had what she needed and that was her healing, so she said to Jesus; “You will not deny me.” Her faith made her daughter whole!
Her path was beset with difficulties, butt difficulties are the food on which real faith thrives best. p.131
The Man with the Withered Hand:
Jesus was teaching in the synagogue and there was a man with a withered hand. The Lord started by asking him to do what he could do. “Rise up, and stand forth in the midst.” He did. Then the Lord asked him to do what he couldn’t do. “..stretch forth thy hand.” Why did the Lord ask him to do this? Because it was an act of faith to reach his hand out. He acted out of faith and the Lord did the rest.
Dr. A.B. Simpson commented on this passage: “So many Christians have no hands! They have no grip in their fingers, no stamina in their will, no hold in their faith.” P. 134
Let’s work the Word. Believe for the impossible, don't stop when the obstacles come, and do what we can not do in the natural. God will perform His Word.