REIKI: HEALING WITH THE FORCE

by Marcia Montenegro (page 2 of 4)

First written in 2001

Response to Reiki

Reiki is more akin to the occult than to medicine: As in all esoteric systems of belief, initiation into secret teachings and techniques is required in learning Reiki. This initiation and secrecy is a hallmark of occult systems. The belief in summoning, controlling, manipulating or channeling an invisible energy that cannot be objectively measured or identified, and for which there is no biological, medical, or other evidence, is another classic trademark of occultism. Although disguised with spiritual language and beliefs, Reiki fits the profile of an occult practice. (In fact, many occult practices use spiritual and/or Biblical language).

Some may object to this classification of Reiki, pointing out that it is no different from Christian faith healing. Any faith healing taught secretly, requiring various initiations, with a view that one is accessing a force (even from God) through a technique, would be occultic as well. However, true Biblical healing is not based on a belief in one's own power or technique, but is dependent solely on God's ability and willingness to heal. In Biblical healing (disregarding the issue of whether the gift of healing exists today), one is not accessing a force or technique but petitions God to heal. Faith healing can be abused, as it is in many cases today in which the 'healer' draws attention to him/herself through sensational methods, makes claims that cannot be verified, or uses fraud.

Reiki and Jesus: There is no evidence that Jesus used Reiki, as many Reiki books and teachers assert. Jesus, being God the Son, did not need a technique, but healed because His nature was the same as God's (which is what being the "Son of God" signifies), and God is the Healer and Giver of life (Genesis 1 and 2; Psalm 103:1-3, 147:3; Hosea 6:1; Matthew 4:23; Luke 4:18; John 10:10; Acts 11:18).

Jesus' miracles of healing were not just to cure, however, but were a sign that He was the promised Messiah. Luke 4:18 refers to prophecy of the Messiah as a healer in Isaiah 61:1. In Luke 7:18-23, John the Baptist sends a messenger to ask Jesus if He really is the Promised One, the Messiah. Jesus replies: "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them," (v.22). In His answer, Jesus refers to two Isaiah passages, Isaiah 35:5 and 61:1, which gave John the confirmation he asked for.

Jesus was not channeling a universal energy, but was acting with the power of God. As Acts 10:38 says, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." The power of God was not coming through a technique or secret teaching, but from the Person of Jesus Christ. When Jesus conferred this power specifically to and only on His disciples, He "gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness," (Matthew 10:1, Mark 3:13-15, Luke 9:1). It is His authority over illness that Christ gave the disciples, not a secret teaching or technique. This authority over disease was only one aspect of the power and authority of the Son of God. He also demonstrated authority in His teaching (Matthew 7:29), authority over demons (Matthew 8:28-24, also in Mark 5:1-17, Luke 8:22-25, as well as many other passages), authority to forgive (Matthew 9:5, also in Mark 2:10, Luke 5:24), authority over nature (Matthew 8:23-27, also in Mark 4:36-41, Luke 8:22-25), and authority over death (Matthew 9:23-26). After His resurrection, He was given all authority: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18).

Jesus' healing magnified the glory of God. After the blind man by the side of the road was healed in Luke 18:35-43, he followed Jesus, "glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God," (verse 43). This same praising of God happened after Jesus healed the paralytic (Matthew 9:2-8, Mark 2:10-12, Luke 5:22-26), when He healed the "lame, crippled, blind, dumb, and many others...so that the multitude marveled as they saw the dumb speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel" (Matthew 15:30, 31), when Jesus raised the dead man in Nain (Luke 7:11-16), when He made the woman bent doubled stand straight (Luke 13:13), and when one of the ten lepers healed by Jesus turned back "glorifying God in a loud voice" and falling on his face at Jesus' feet (Luke 17:15, 16).

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