Many times we deal with our spirits and souls in that we embark on journeys of self improvement to improve our lives and become more Christ-like outwardly. The problem is that we work on this mostly by trying to change ourselves outwardly in our own strength, and therefore, we don’t get the results we are hoping for. When we relax our effort to change, we keep springing back into the default position of how we have always thought and acted.
Why is This?
There are thoughts, beliefs, lies, strongholds in our minds and ways, and other such things that need to be dealt with before we will be successful in dealing with the outward things we desire to change and overcome..
What is the Heart?
The parts of our being
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 – And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete, blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].
Spirit (pneuma) – breath, breath, spirit, wind, a current of air.
Soul (psuche) – heart, life, soul, the natural life of the body.
Heart (kardia) – speaks of the physical heart but also the thoughts and feelings. The heart can be broken.
Jesus Came to Heal the Broken Hearted
What is a broken heart?
Luke 4:17-21 – And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
One of the primary purposes Jesus came to earth is to heal and bind up your broken heart, as well as proclaim liberty to the captives, and set at liberty those who are oppressed. This isn’t speaking of a doctrine but of an physical realty. God desires each of us to actually BE free and to LIVE free. This is part of our salvation in Jesus.
He came to bring good news to the afflicted and poor. He came to proclaim recovery of sight to the blind. He came to set at liberty those who are oppressed. He came to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. He came to proclaim the age of grace and mercy.
He came to bind up and heal the broken-hearted and to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners.
Proverbs 4:24 – Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
(PassionNTPsa) – So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life.
If the condition of your heart determines what is going on in your outward life, it is important to deal with the heart and not just with your actions. We have to get whole and live from a whole heart.
There is far more to life than your outward actions. We start by dealing with the heart; then the changed actions we desire can follow.
We don’t just remember our past in our heads; we carry it in our hearts. It has become a part of how we react, how we think, and how we behave in our lives. Sometimes we don’t even remember some of the things in our past, but they are still there. They have all helped form who we have become.
The condition of your heart determines the condition of your life.
Jesus was anointed to heal the broken hearted. What does this mean?
Anointed – idea of contact, to smear or rub with oil.
Heal (iaomai) – heal, make whole cure.
Brokenhearted – bruised, broken, broken to shivers, broken in pieces, crushed completely, shattered.
Deliverance/Liberty – deliver, forgive, remission, liberty, freedom, pardon.
Oppressed – bruised, downtrodden, crushed, broken down by calamity.
This verse that Jesus quoted to describe His ministry came from Isaiah.
Isaiah 61:1-3 – The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit—that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Anointed to preach good news to:
- The meek
- The poor.
- The afflicted.
Sent to:
- Bind up and heal the brokenhearted.
- Proclaim liberty to the captives.
- Proclaim the opening of the prison and eyes of those who are bound.
- Proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (the year of His favor).
- Comfort all who mourn, giving them the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a heavy, burdened and failing spirit.
Bind up – girded, healed, wrapped firmly.
Mourn – mourning, lamenting.
Heavy – somewhat dark, wax dim, smoking, heaviness.
Part of the Gospel that Jesus came to provide is to bind up and heal the broken parts of our hearts. This implies something that isn’t instantaneous. Binding up is to gird or wrap firmly. The healing is gradual. This passage isn’t speaking of being born again and getting a new heart; it is speaking of process. And after the Lord helps us deal with our own heart, we are to minister to others the same freedom we have.
We don’t just go around demanding people change their behavior or telling them to “get over it” or other such things. We will need to help them figure out the source and root of their behavior and and kindly and mercifully help them deal with that first.
Matthew 9:35-38 – And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and every weakness and infirmity. When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, the harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.
Jesus is still moved with compassion for those who are bewildered, harassed, distressed, dejected and helpless. He preached to them, taught them and healed them of all disease, weakness and infirmity. This is also what we are to do. Jesus cares for people dealing with these kinds of things. He is not against them like much of the church world is. He is not telling them to try a little harder or must make a stronger, quality decision to not be broken, distressed, downcast, or harassed any longer. His plan for us all is true and real freedom from the depths of our heart. Only when your heart is healed with you be able to be outwardly healed and changed.