Man’s knowledge has increased dramatically over the past 100 years. Going back to 1925, science was discovering Edwin Hubble and his findings that the most significant scientific discovery was essentially proving the universe is much larger than previously thought and setting the stage for the later discovery of the expanding universe; this revelation is often considered the “birthday of modern cosmology” and occurred on January 1, 1925. 

Health Discoveries

Insulin: In 1922, Banting and Best isolated insulin, which helped treat diabetes. The Joslin Diabetes Center was also founded in 1922. 

Vitamins: Another health discovery of the 1920s. 

Penicillin: Discovered in the 1920s, penicillin was a breakthrough discovery that helped fight infection. 

Public health departments: The 1920s saw a large expansion of public health departments. 

Communicable diseases: The 1920s saw a dramatic reduction in communicable diseases. 

Diagnostics: Diagnostics advanced in the 1920s. 

Hopkins model: The widespread adoption of the Hopkins model in the 1920s transformed American medicine. 

In the 1920s, people were concerned about the spread of infectious diseases like smallpox, measles, typhoid, diphtheria, and tuberculosis. 

100 years later, the discoveries that have happened have revolutionized medicine, travel, shopping, work, communications, investments…virtually every aspect of our lives now depends on these advancements in knowledge. Our Gen Z population would have never been able to function in the society of 100 years ago. No cell phones, no computers, no Internet, no fast food, no Uber drivers, no college tuition forgiveness, and so much more. The generation alive today has so much knowledge that has made improvements that they project that AI will find a cure for most diseases by 2030…just 5 short years away.

Some suggest that AI and Computer technology will cure diseases.

AI is becoming so evolved, that it is now being projected that it will be able to diagnosis, treat, and cure many life threatening diseases such as Cancer, Stroke, Heart Disease, Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and more. The quantum computers that have been invented and being tested already show signs of artificial intelligence way beyond Sciences expectations as these systems are fed data to analyze.

A cure for HIV?

If you take ART drugs as prescribed, an inactive form of the virus still lives in groups of cells in your body called HIV reservoirs. If you stop taking ART, the virus in the reservoirs can become active again and lead to AIDS. There’s still no general cure for HIV infection, although a handful of people across the world have become HIV-free after having risky stem cell transplants to treat cancer.

You may see or hear claims that certain herbal medicines, devices, or chemicals can cure HIV. But no natural or alternative remedy can cure or effectively treat HIV. Some herbal medications can even keep antiretroviral drugs from working as they should. 

Although we’ve gone 40 years without a cure for HIV, scientists believe one is possible.vestibulum semper. Commodo morbi vestibulum consectetur mollis scelerisque nisl, ex litora conubia pretium, commodo augue congue quam ipsum. Dignissim ligula ex phasellus, senectus tempus arcu porttitor luctus leo quis.

Anyone familiar with Jesus knows he spent a lot of time healing people. Those healings seem so foreign to modern disciples, as if from a far away land, the stuff of mythology or fiction. Yet, his healing ministry didn’t stick with him; Jesus spread his power to heal into the lives of his followers. Does this mean that we too, as modern disciples, should practice healing? What should we expect when praying for it? Let’s take a quick look at the 1st century to get our bearings. Then, we can turn to our response in the 21st century.

Touched by the Hand of GOD

To set the stage, there is a three part narrative cycle to Jesus’ ministry (Lk. 5-8): 1) Proclaim the kingdom message, 2) Perform an exorcism, and 3) Perform a healing. It’s a cycle of proclaiming the kingdom message and performing miracles. Jesus starts in this cycle (Lk. 4), calls twelve disciples to join him (Lk. 5-6), and then repeats the narrative cycle: kingdom message/exorcism/healing four times (Lk. 7-8). When we zoom in, Jesus proclaims the kingdom message through the parable of The Four Soils, exorcises the Gerasene Demoniac, heals Jarius’ daughter, and a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years (Lk. 8). He is proclaiming the kingdom message and performing miracles.

Then Jesus sends his disciples on a mission of their own (Lk. 9). Notice what they’re doing: “And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (Lk. 9:1-2). Proclaim the kingdom message, perform exorcisms, perform healings. The same things in the same exact order. Coincidence? Hardly.

It happens again, but with seventy-two disciples instead of twelve–representing Jesus mission to all nations, not just Israel (Lk. 10; cf. Gen. 10). Why the repetition? Jesus does it four times, disciples do it twice. This narrative weight is telling us that disciples of Jesus imitate Jesus. Disciples of Jesus don’t just believe in him for a nice afterlife; they imitate him in everyday life.

Have you ever seen children imitate their parents or younger siblings imitate older ones? They pick up on mannerisms and patterns of speech. They talk and act like them. I recently met someone’s sister, and I knew right away they were related because of shared mannerisms. My wife tells me our son acts “just like me.” As disciples of Jesus, we should talk and act like Jesus, pick up on his behavior and imitate it. Jesus even says as much: “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (6:40).

If you are a Christian, you are a disciple who is being trained by the Holy Spirit to act like Jesus (cf. 6:36). What are we to imitate? Clearly, it’s not everything, like dying on a cross. Jesus is committed to preaching and healing; he’s equally committed to raising up disciples who do the same thing. Luke underscores this “And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere” (Lk. 6:6). Jesus sends his disciples to preach and heal, not preach and serve or preach and study. As modern people, imitating this part of Jesus ministry often seems absurd, out of reach, unrealistic.

We can also be a light post..a beam of light to give to a dying world, so that those miracles of GOD that work through us, can be seen for all throughout eternity