The earliest church did not talk about the "Four Gospels." It talked about the "Fourfold Gospel." It recognized a very important fact. The four Gospels all set forth one and the same gospel. Hence the view of synoptic origins I espouse is known as "The Fourfold Gospel Hypothesis."
This position affirms that, from the earliest days of the church, there have been four, and only four, recognized Gospels. The first three Gospels are often taken as a group, while the last supplements the others. In spite of allegations to the contrary, no real contradictions between these Gospels have ever been proven to exist. In all cases, an honest attempt to seek solutions and to harmonize is exactly the proper exegetical procedure.
For example, in Matt. 9:18-26, we have a double miracle performed by Christ -- the restoration to life of a ruler's daughter, and the healing of a woman with a flow of blood for 12 years. (I can't even begin to imagine having an issue of blood for 12 weeks, let alone 12 months or 12 years!) Matthew's account is extremely brief (9 verses), whereas Luke's is longer (17 verses) and Mark's longer still (25 verses). Mark reports that the woman had "suffered much from many physicians, had spent all she had, and had not been improved but had rather grown worse." Luke, on the other hand -- Doctor Luke! -- writes that the woman "could not be healed" by any physician. Neither account contradicts the other. The doctors didn't heal the woman because her illness was, humanly speaking, incurable! Later, when Jesus is asked by the ruler to lay his hand on his child, Jesus goes a step further and takes her by the hand, at which point Mark adds, "Talitha cumi" (Little girl, arise). This is a transliteration of an Aramaic phrase. Aramaic was the everyday language in Israel at the time. "Talitha" is a term of endearment. Jesus' taking the girl by the hand provides a wonderful image of a compassionate and gentle Savior. At Jesus' word, the little girl arises.
The message of both healing stories is identical. The same Jesus who miraculously healed Jairus's daughter and the woman with a flow of blood is the one we look to today for physical healing. Our Savior is both powerful and compassionate, gentle and strong. These miracles not only demonstrate Jesus' authority over sickness but also serve as a foreshadowing of his own resurrection and the hope of resurrection for all who believe in him. They underscore the Christian doctrine that Jesus is the source of all life and healing and has dominion over illness and death. They are a wonderful reminder that we are not alone in our health struggles. Christ is there to lift us up and breathe new life into our hopes and dreams.
Remember:
God is able, I am not.
God knows what is best, I do not.
God sees the end from the beginning, I cannot.
God should have his way in this, I should not.
God is in control of every aspect of our lives, including our health. He knows about it, he understands it, and he is responsible for it. None of it is a surprise to him. Our lives are all planned, all arranged, all put together so that we see his hand in every detail of our lives -- the good, the bad, and everything in between. He's in it all. Our health is not ruled by chance or fate or luck or coincidence. His plan is perfectly designed to shape each of us into the image of his Son.
And so every morning we can say, "My health is in your hands, Lord. This is your day, whatever it may hold or include. Whatever I may experience, all of it is unfolding according to your plan. And it will work together for good, just as you arranged it. You know the way I take. You have planned for me what pleases you. I will accept it, embrace it, and conduct my life confident that at the conclusion of this trial I can look back and say I am more like Christ than ever before."
Amen.