I remember watching The Chosen, a show I’ve generally appreciated, until one particular moment made my heart twist.

Little James — walking with a staff due to his limp — comes to Jesus after He has told the apostles they are to go out to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. And Little James asks the obvious:

Why hasn’t Jesus healed me?

Jesus’ reply? That he’d be a better witness because of it.

It’s a beautiful moment. Thoughtful. Emotional. I understand why so many felt seen by it. But I also believe it’s exactly the kind of moment we need to examine closely — not because it lacks compassion, but because it quietly contradicts the compassion Jesus demonstrated through healing.

The idea that God withholds healing to make someone more “relatable” or to teach a lesson is one of the most common — and spiritually damaging — narratives we’ve inherited. And it’s time we reconsider who we’re actually blaming… and who’s been left out of the story entirely.

(If you haven’t seen the scene, you can watch it here.)

We’ve All Heard It

Pause me if you’ve heard one of these before:

• “God gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers.”

• “God is allowing this illness so I can help others with the same thing.”

• “God only gives people what they can handle.”

• “God sent this to teach me something”

• “We prayed, and they didn’t get healed — so this must be His will.”

• “This disease is part of God’s mysterious plan.”

You’ve probably heard — or even believed — at least one of these. But what if none of them are true?

God’s Not the Villain

Let’s be clear: God uses what the enemy purposes for evil and turns it for good. However, that doesn’t mean He is the cause of it.

As a preacher I once heard put it, “God is not subcontracting the devil.”

The Bible doesn’t teach that sickness is God’s tool — it teaches that sickness is an enemy.

Jesus never told anyone, “This is just for a season to teach you something.”
He never said, “Stay in your affliction so others can grow through you.”

Jesus healed.

Immediately.
Compassionately.
Consistently.

So if Jesus spent His life healing sickness and pain — why do we think He’s now repurposing it?

No, there is an actual culprit in this story that’s gone too long without being named…