If someone asked
you, “Do you trust in God for healing?” how would you respond? Think about that
for a minute. “Do you trust in God for healing?” Every Christian knows the
“right answer” to that question. Jesus healed multitudes of people during his
lifetime; and he promises to continue to heal us today. Of course we trust in
God for healing! But I’m also sure that most of us have a little kernel of
doubt, tucked way back in a corner of our faith where it’s hard for other folks
to see. Do we trust in God for healing? If we’re honest with ourselves, the
real answer might be “not always.” The reason, is that all of us have prayed at
one time or another for a healing that just didn’t happen. Maybe we’ve asked that
Grandma might have a few more years of life as she struggled with cancer; but
Grandma died after a few weeks. Where was the healing that Jesus promised us?
We can’t help but wonder why healing didn’t happen when we asked for it.
Now, it’s easy to
fall into the trap of thinking that our faith isn’t strong enough when the
healing we pray for doesn’t happen. The story that we heard this morning seems
to support that idea. (Mark 9:14-27) “Everything is possible for the one who
believes,” states Jesus; and the sick boy’s father responds, “I do believe!
Help me overcome my unbelief.” But is that what really happens? Does Jesus keep
a faith tally for all of us and only offer healing to the ones with the most
faith points? That doesn’t sound like Jesus to me! The Jesus that I know offers
healing to anyone who needs it. So let’s look at the father’s cry for help a
little differently, and see if it might suggest and answer as to why we don’t
always receive healing when we ask for it. Let’s start by considering healing
itself. We usually think of healing as a process that our bodies undergo – a
leg that heals after being broken, for example. When we pray for healing, we
tend to focus on physical illnesses that we may have. But the reality is that
there are all kinds of healing in addition to the physical.
Consider Tony, for
example. Tony was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was only three months
old. He was a very smart and persistent little boy; and although he was
physically nearly helpless, he never gave up trying to do what was asked of him
during his therapy sessions. He had a beautiful smile and a winning way with
everyone he met. But his parents – his mother, in particular – had difficulty
coping with his needs. Although she was a member of a prayer group in her
congregation that tried to support her emotionally, Tony’s mother became
progressively more bitter about his condition and angry with God. One day when
Tony was a teenager, his mother burst into the house very excited. “We’re going
to a special healing service!” she announced. “The lady who invited us said
that all things are possible with God! Her friends are going to lay hands on
you, Tony, and your cerebral palsy is going to be cured!” The healing service
was beautiful. But Tony’s condition didn’t change. Tony’s mother claimed
healing in the name of Jesus, and asked all her friends to pray for a miracle.
But weeks went by, and nothing happened. The more his mother prayed, the more
depressed Tony became. He attended his church youth group; and the young people
there, too, prayed for a miracle. But during all these prayers, Tony would sit
grimly, staring straight ahead; and his medical condition remained unchanged. Then
one day, Tony accepted an invitation to another youth group in a different part
of town. The group was friendly and welcoming. No one prayed for him. In fact,
no one treated Tony any differently than the other group members. Tony began
attending that youth group on a regular basis. One night during a small group
discussion, Tony said that he wanted to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He
didn’t want to be anyone exceptional, he said. He simply wanted to be loved for
who he was. The other youth spontaneously began to pray for Tony – that he
would be certain of God’s love; that he would find the peace that Jesus
promises us; that he would find a true sense of self-worth. When the prayer was
finished, something about Tony had changed. He radiated peace and joy. The
smile on his face was an image of the one that he had smiled as a little boy,
and that he had lost as he had grown older. Four years later, Tony attends a
community college. He drives a car and lives independently. He has a steady
girlfriend. Oh, he still has cerebral palsy, but it no longer defines him. In
fact, his friends hardly notice it because of the rich, full life that Tony
leads.
Was Tony healed? Not
physically. But the desire for Tony’s physical healing had been so great that
any other need for healing had been ignored. Miracles do come in all shapes and
sizes, after all; and so does healing. Sometimes our minds need to be healed. When we are dealing
with a situation that seems to have no solution, an “Aha!” moment can be
healing. Frequently our relationships need to be healed. When two dear friends
who have been estranged for years are reconciled, a powerful healing has taken
place. And often, like Tony, our hearts need to be healed. When we don’t
believe that we are worthy of love, it is a wound that can infect our whole
lives.
God offers us all
kinds of healing for these wounds that we suffer: physical and otherwise. Let’s
not focus only on our physical wounds when God wants to make us well and whole
in every possible way! My prayer today is that you believe that God has healing
to offer you. Perhaps that healing is physical; but it might be something else.
I invite you to say, together with the father in Mark’s story, “Lord, I
believe! Help me overcome my unbelief.” May nothing stand in the way of God’s
healing for you.
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