Against Your Will
We have discussed the matter of free will on our site many times. C.S. Lewis explained it best when he wrote, “Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.” God, in His perfect wisdom, knew that we could not be automata creatures because then there would be no real love in the world. Real love must be a choice and for us to really love our Creator, we would have to choose Him. This is modeled perfectly for us in the life of Jesus. Any time we read of Jesus healing someone, it is never against their will. We don’t read of Jesus approaching someone and telling them they will be healed. He either asks them or, more often, He is asked. In John 5, we have an example of a time when Jesus asked the person if they wanted to be healed.
“One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’” (John 5:5-6)
In Matthew 9, we have three instances in succession wherein people come to Jesus seeking healing.
“As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. ‘My daughter has just died,’ he said, ‘but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.’” (Matthew 9:18)
Just after the official asked Jesus to come and heal his daughter, another daughter of God reached out in faith and free will for healing.
“Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought, ‘If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.’” (Matthew 9:20)
After the woman was healed, Jesus went on to the official’s house and healed his daughter. Upon leaving the house, two blind men started following Him.
“After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’ They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, ‘Do you believe I can make you see?’
‘Yes, Lord,’ they told him, ‘we do.’ Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘Because of your faith, it will happen.’” (Matthew 9:27-29)
In every instance of Jesus healing, we find that He was either asked or He did the asking. What we see is faith and free will in action. Jesus does not violate the free will that He gave us. To act in real love is to come to Jesus or accept the invitation offered to us. Do not expect Jesus to violate your free will. For there to be any real love, we must have the free will to come to Jesus. Is there someone you need to bring to Jesus as the men did with their friend on the mat? Jesus is asking, how will you, in faith and free will, respond?
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
—Redeemed
