“‘They will lay hands on the sick…’ But that is not how it works.”
Recently I spoke with someone again who said triumphantly: “In the Bible it says:
‘They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover,’ so today we can also heal all people. Because that is what it says in the Bible.”
Detail: that same person was wearing glasses. That immediately makes the point clear: it does not work that simply. Not because God cannot heal, but because this verse is often used without context—and that misuse is unfortunately far too common.
1. The verse describes God’s power, not our superpower
Let’s first look at where that short passage comes from. It is in Mark 16, but it is not only about “healing.” On the contrary, the full passage reads:
“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17–18)
Do you see the difference? It is not only about healing. It is also about:
- casting out demons
- speaking in new tongues
- handling snakes
- drinking poison without harm
If you take this literally, it almost automatically raises questions like: “Come to my house and drink a bowl of poison,” or “Put your hand in a box of snakes,” or “Why are you wearing glasses?” Immediately you see that such statements become absurd, and an unbeliever notices that right away.
But in some church settings it is sometimes simply assumed: “The Bible says it, so it must be true.” That is very concerning.
And what often happens when someone is not healed? The answer becomes: “That is not on me, but on their faith. Their faith is too small.” (Exactly what that woman with the glasses said.)
But let’s think about that for a moment: if your own faith is supposedly too small to remove your glasses, let alone handle snakes or poison, then the whole idea becomes absurd.
Conclusion: the claim that believers can heal everyone, provided their faith is big enough, is completely unsustainable.
So what is really going on?
It becomes clear immediately: the power comes from God, not from our hands. The verse does not promise that believers can at any moment “produce” a healing miracle.
And that is exactly where we need to go further: healing is a gift from God, an instrument (what that instrument is for, we will come to shortly), and certainly not an automatic human superpower.
2. Context: not every believer has the same gift
“…to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:9
Not everyone receives the same gifts. Healing is a gift of the Spirit; it is not a universal ability given to all.
3. Even the apostles did not heal everyone
In the New Testament we see that even the greatest servants of God did not always heal:
- Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7–9)
- Trophimus was left sick in Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20)
- Timothy had stomach problems for which Paul recommended medicinal wine (1 Timothy 5:23)
This shows that healing does not operate automatically, even for the most faithful followers of Jesus. And that also means it is not a universal, constant ability for all believers, as if it were a fixed superpower.
God heals. Sometimes instantly, sometimes through doctors, sometimes through processes of restoration. But the Bible does not promise that every believer always heals or that every believer has the gift of healing.
The passage in Mark is meant as encouragement that God can work through believers, not as a claim that we can take over His role.
4. Jesus performed miracles to prove who He is, not because healing was the goal
This crucial point is often forgotten, but the Bible is very clear. Jesus’ miracles were meant as evidence that He was sent by the Father. His signs confirmed His identity.
Jesus Himself says:
“The works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me.” (John 10:25)
He repeats this in other places as well, such as:
“…the works that I do testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.” (John 5:36)
Peter also confirms this:
“…Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs…” (Acts 2:22)
The miracles were therefore not the goal, but the evidence. The goal was to make known who Jesus truly is.
And this is exactly where many modern “healing ministries” go wrong: healing itself becomes the goal. People want to see a miracle, an experience, a result—but it is no longer about confirming God’s truth or witnessing who Jesus is.
The miracle has become the endpoint, while in the Bible it was a means to point to Jesus.
5. Modern healing services often target the wrong audience
Many healing services today focus precisely on believers.
But believers already know who Jesus is. They are therefore not the original audience of biblical miracles, as we have seen. The biblical model shows that:
- miracles were meant to convince unbelievers
- healing was a sign of Jesus’ identity
- it was never about the believer’s experience or a “wonder show”
When the focus of a service is the miracle itself rather than Jesus, the biblical purpose is completely missed.
Conclusion
It is wonderful to believe in God’s healing power. But it is important not to pull Bible verses out of their context and turn them into a kind of spiritual superhero status.
The words of Jesus do not point to our power, but to His power—working through whomever He chooses, whenever He chooses, and for the purpose He intends. The biblical focus is clear:
- Disciples received specific assignments, but that does not mean we can do the same everywhere and always.
- Healing is a gift of the Spirit, not an automatic right.
- Jesus performed miracles to prove He was sent by God, not to make healing itself the goal.
- Modern healing ministries often focus on believers and on the miracle itself. That is theologically incorrect; believers are not the primary audience of biblical signs.
The miracle is a means; the goal is to reveal Jesus. When we forget that, we focus on the wrong thing: experiences, “I have that power,” “I claim that power,” applause, emotions—rather than the true source of healing and life: Jesus Christ.
I honestly find it deeply troubling when someone misunderstands such clear biblical passages. It makes you wonder: is this person truly walking in the light of the God of the Bible, or being led by a false teaching or a misleading prophet?
