| Back in the '70s, some scientists focused on the trait | | | | opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything |
| of "learned helplessness". This experiment is useful for | | | | clearly. |
| Christians who long to read the Bible more "accurately" | | | | This is the only instance I know about where Jesus |
| and "effectively". This experiment has significance for | | | | had to pray twice for someone to be completely |
| people's sense of "helplessness" about being able to | | | | healed! The first time Jesus "put His hands on him", He |
| interpret the Scriptures for themselves. | | | | asked, "Do you see anything?" And, yes -- the |
| Don't forget -- every Believer's "favorite teacher" is... | | | | formerly blind man could see... indistinctly. He said he |
| the Anointing Who dwells within! [1John 2.27] | | | | could see people, but then said that these people |
| Now listen, you may not enjoy reading about scientific | | | | "looked like trees walking around". |
| experiments (especially the first one on "helplessness") | | | | It doesn't say in Mark's account that this man had been |
| but I promise you, if you grasp their implications, both of | | | | born blind, but it would fit nicely. Let's speculate a bit. If |
| them will change how you see people and how you | | | | this man had never seen, then the neural cells involved |
| minister. So, don't skim through "looking for the Bottom | | | | with sight would never have matured. |
| Line"!!! Read them both carefully! | | | | This is normal. When a person has been blind or deaf |
| Back in the '70s, scientists set up an experiment with | | | | for most of their life, and a picture (MRI, et. al.) is taken |
| dogs. (Now -- I wouldn't have done an experiment like | | | | of their brain, the area of the brain associated with that |
| this, but seeing it was done, there's some valuable | | | | sense is small, having never received the stimulation |
| insight here.) | | | | necessary for it to develop and mature. |
| They performed the experiment with a number of | | | | When I look at Jesus' "two-stage" healing, I can't help |
| dogs and the results were not only astonishing, but | | | | but wonder if the first healing was the man's eyes, and |
| were the same across the board. | | | | the next healed the under-developed neural tissues in |
| Each dog was placed in a wire cage which could be | | | | his brain. |
| electrified enough to make the dogs very | | | | Here's why I suspect this may have happened: When |
| uncomfortable. The cages had six sides of wire mesh. | | | | his "eyes" were opened, he processed the new |
| With the current turned on, every dog at first made | | | | "signals" in terms of what was already familiar to him. |
| excited efforts to escape from the cage, to no avail. | | | | He "saw" people, but he "saw" them as "trees, |
| Finally, after many shocks, each dog got to the point | | | | walking". Trees, now -- he was familiar with trees. He'd |
| where when it felt the current, it simply lay helplessly | | | | probably stood by them and held onto them for years. |
| still on the floor of the cage. | | | | And his brain tried to process the unfamiliar, visual |
| Then, the top of the cage would be removed, and the | | | | signals with a part of his brain that was already highly |
| current again applied. | | | | developed -- touch. |
| But now the dog would just continue lying still on the | | | | But Jesus "put His hands on him" a second time, and |
| electrified wire mesh. It made no attempt to jump out | | | | the man suddenly could process the new signals from |
| the top of the cage. | | | | his eyes correctly. |
| Next, the scientists removed one side of the cage, | | | | Why do I use this Scripture as an illustration? This |
| then another until all sides to the cage were gone. | | | | Scripture at least allows for the possibility that part of |
| When they threw the current and the dog would | | | | a person's healing may include healing neural pathways |
| whimper, it still wouldn't move off the wire mesh. Even | | | | inside the brain... |
| though nothing held the dog from leaping to freedom, it | | | | And "learned helplessness" may require that healing. |
| would continue to lay on the electrified mesh and | | | | One last example about "learned helplessness": Have |
| whimper. | | | | you ever tried to teach someone how to do |
| It had learned helplessness. | | | | something -- say, algebra -- if they've "learned" that |
| People can "learn helplessness" as well. | | | | they are "helpless" to do it? You can hold a |
| This has serious implications, even beyond the study of | | | | conversation like this one: |
| Scriptures. If you've been involved with ministering to | | | | "Now -- remember that the little asterisk [*] means to |
| people for any length of time, you've probably been | | | | multiply the numbers?" |
| confused, astonished, upset or even angry to see | | | | "Of course!" |
| people who have been set free by Jesus Christ but | | | | "OK -- so we have 3*6...tell me in English what that |
| who have been totally unable to appropriate that | | | | means." |
| freedom. You "lift" them and "encourage" them and | | | | [Complete silence.] |
| "stand alongside" of them through thick and thin -- but | | | | The problem is that when a person has "learned |
| then they turn right back into their lives of helplessness. | | | | helplessness", their brains can't get past their belief in |
| There are people who totally and radically believe in | | | | their helplessness! |
| the freedom that Jesus has won for them and | | | | Let's wrap up this experiment and apply it to Believers |
| imparted to them, but who cannot stand in this | | | | and how they read the Bible: |
| freedom. | | | | Let's say that someone doesn't read well. Or they've |
| Understand, some people's life experiences have | | | | been told by their dad that they're "stupid". Or that |
| engraved "helplessness" into the physical/chemical | | | | they've listened to "Bible teachers" many, many times |
| process of their brains. These "patterns in the brain" | | | | with the thought, "How do they understand the Word |
| are called "engrams" -- actual biochemical changes in | | | | like that -- I'll never be able to understand the Bible for |
| brain tissue that represents a memory. | | | | myself -- it's too difficult for me to understand." |
| What can we do for a person who is not simply a bit | | | | Well, the Bible's not too difficult for anybody of normal |
| "doubtful" about God, but truly believes in God and | | | | or near-normal intellect to understand for themselves. |
| believes in their salvation... but whose brains have been | | | | But as Believers, there are times we'll run into people |
| "engraved" with "helplessness"? | | | | who simply won't try to interpret the Bible with the |
| They need the neural tissues of their brains "healed", | | | | simple study skills needed for accurate understanding. |
| supernaturally. | | | | They won't even try, because they may have "learned |
| This is illustrated in Scripture. Look in Mark 8: | | | | helplessness". |
| 22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought | | | | If we encounter people who stare blindly when you try |
| a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He | | | | to share the skills and techniques of studying the Word |
| took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the | | | | or hearing the Voice of the Author in respect to the |
| village. When he had spat on the man's eyes and put | | | | Bible, stop and consider if they may be hindered by |
| his hands on him, Jesus asked, 'Do you see anything?" | | | | "learned helplessness" -- and if so, healing ministry may |
| 24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like | | | | be needed to create new, neural paths in the brain |
| trees walking around." 25 Once more Jesus put his | | | | before success can ever be achieved! |
| hands on the man/s eyes. Then his eyes were | | | | |