Sunday: Loss of Health
We are thousands of years from the tree of life; and we all feel it, too, especially when it comes to our physical health. Sooner or later, unless we are killed when young by trauma, we all come to the harsh reality of the loss of health.
And, as difficult as the loss of health is, how much more painful when it strikes, not just ourselves, but someone in our own family? How many parents have, especially as they have dealt with an ill child, wished it had been them, the parent, who was sick instead of the child? Unfortunately, we are not given that choice.
What do all these accounts have in common? Mark 5:22-24, Mark 5:35-43; Matt. 15:22-28; Luke 4:38-39; John 4:46-54.
Ilness
In each of these cases, and no doubt in so many more, it was a family member beseeching Jesus’ help for another family member.
No question, we recognize that we suffer because we live in a fallen world. When sin entered the world, not only did death enter, but also chronic pain, illness, and disease. When faced with a chronic or terminal illness, we may experience shock, anger, despair, and may even feel like shouting, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me? Why are you so far away? Won’t you listen to my groans and come to my rescue?” (Ps. 22:1, CEV). As David did, we’d do well taking our questions, anger, and pain to God.
In many ways, sickness and suffering will remain a mystery until death is finally defeated at Jesus’ return. At the same time, we can glean important truths from God’s Word. While Job endured unspeakable pain, he experienced a deeper intimacy with God. He explains, “I heard about you from others; now I have seen you with my own eyes” (Job 42:5, CEV). Paul had some sort of chronic illness, and how he dealt with it tells us that suffering can equip us to comfort others, it can give us compassion for others who are hurting, and it can enable us to minister more effectively (2 Cor. 1:3-5) – that is, if we don’t allow it to break us.
| Whether we or family members are suffering with illness, what promises can we claim? Why, at times like this, is the reality of Jesus, our Lord, suffering on the cross so important to us? What does He on the cross teach us about God’s unfailing love, even amid illness in our family? |
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Sickness is something we all experience. Whether it be the common cold or the latest flu virus, or a serious disease like arthritis that causes pain or shortens one's life, we've all been sick. As kids during our times,we sometimes wanted to have a slight fever so we could stay home from school. How our parents worried over us! We didn't care. We thought we'd get better. A couple of days of that and we were glad to get back to school.
Everyone experiences illness, but where does it come from? Evolution says that sickness is good, something that causes life to refine itself. When an animal becomes sick and weak, it dies and cannot reproduce. The strong survive the illness and have offspring that have a better chance of survival.
The Bible says that sickness and death are alien to the world. God created the world without sickness. He made all life perfect. When he finished creating, "God saw everything that he had made, and it was very good" (Gen. 1:31). So where do sickness and illness come from?
Jesus knew sickness. He knew disease. The Bible says they brought hundreds of people to him who were sick, blind, deaf, unable to speak, unable to walk. Jesus healed them all. This shows us that he cares about people who are sick. The God who made the perfect world feels the pain of those who suffer in it.
When someone is sick, it does not mean that they have done something that has angered God more than healthy people. There are some hardened atheists who have excellent health. When we see sickness, it reminds us that our rebellion against God has changed the world. Sin, that is, disobedience to God, has broken the world. Not only does sin destroy our relationship to God and other people, cause wars and bloodshed, but it changed nature as well. People get sick and die. We fear death because it's not natural. We weren't created to die, but to live and serve God.
Peter had a problem. His mother-in-law was sick. They asked Jesus to help her. That's worthy of our attention. As God Jesus knew this, as he knows all things. But it gave the disciples the opportunity to ask the Lord for it. Luke says "they appealed to him on her behalf. Today we call that prayer.
Luke says Jesus stood over the woman and rebuked the fever. Matthew adds that he touched her hand and she was immediately made well. She was so well that she got up right away and began to serve the group. Sounds like she felt so much good that she started to cook a big supper!
Jesus healed hundreds, if not thousands of people. But we don't read anywhere in Scripture that these people didn't eventually succumb to some other ailment or injury and eventually die. So the miracles of healing were temporary. That is the way it is for us. Sometimes we pray for someone and God makes them well. Christian physicians can attest to the fact that there are some healings today that they can't explain.
Other times we pray for someone, but their illness is not healed, and they eventually die. Jesus healed people for one reason, so they would know he had the power and authority to forgive sins. Only God can forgive sins and open the door to eternal life.
Jesus not only healed people's bodies, but he cast out demons from people. That shows the connection between the healing of the body and the soul. Now if you are sick it does not mean that a demon is inhabiting your body. But there is evil in the world. The devil would have everyone suffering in misery of body and soul.
I like the fact that as the people appealed to Jesus, their family members got well! Today, the church is a family of Gods children! If any of us is sick, let us pray for one another and Jesus’s healing power will redeem us from ailments!
If we are are sick and God has not created a miracle in our lives and we die, or we don’t die but we suffer the rest of our lives, the short term suffering or long term suffering will not be at naught. If we have a daily relationship with Christ we are happy because we have this hope. What is this hope? The promise that we will be healed, even if the promise of-healing is not full-filled until we meet our Lord and Saviour on the sea of glass. He has promised to heal us, and indeed he has healed of our sins. Thy will be done oh, Lord.
I have a disease which many have, diabetes. God healed me by giving me the power to eat without refined carbohydrates. My HgbA1c went from 10.3 down to 5.6 and holding, without Rx. Now this is a miracle. Now He says if you heed my instructions I will heal you. Do I believe He will miraculously heal my diabetes if go back to sweets, pastas, and pastries? No. The power and authority of Jesus Christ is found in the power He gives to stick with a good diet. “Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]–”. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20 AMPC
I have emerged from a nasty head cold that began this past Wednesday. Thursday and Friday was mainly sleep and drinking lots of water. Yesterday, the remnant of the virus was still holding on, but by early evening I was able to get out of the house and walk in the fading sunlight. I am feeling rejuvenated today.
Sickness reminds me how fortunate good health really is. For me, when I get the flu or a cold it mostly has to do with my not getting enough rest. Sickness in that sense is the forced time out to get decent rest.
I have not had a chronic sickness thus far. After 6 decades of life I have been very fortunate to not have the common ailments of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, arthritis. I do have fading eyesight, finding it takes a lot longer to get over bumps and bruises, and my reaction time has become retarded, and I carry a bit too much weight for which I am losing since this past November (down 15 pounds!). I try to eat good, exercise, and work at getting better rest. I am finding at 60 that every day I am well is a gift.
Let me please add a comment or two.
Josiah, you state “Jesus healed people for one reason, so they would know he had the power and authority to forgive sins.” That was true when he healed the man let down from the ceiling and perhaps some other times as well. We don’t know that that was the reason for the majority of his healing. He had compassion on them and had the power to do so. I would not restrict God’s healing to your implication except when the Bible states that.
John, I am impressed with your change and in diet and the improved HbA1c. You are one of the few who have such a dramatic response. Most illnesses don’t have nice instructions to follow as you suggest “If you heed my instructions I will heal you.” The advances in medical science are also God given.
One of the struggles fundamental Christians have is “why” they have disease if they follow God’s plan or why they can’t get better by being a better follower of Christ or by just praying harder or having more faith. It is very challenging with those diseases we categorized as “physical”, but immensely more challenging when we deem the diseases “mental”.
While I praise God for you, John, I urge others to try to do what they can do including the use of medicines to achieve the best health they can. My greatest challenge treating fundamentalist Christians through many years was having them accept the need to take meds especially for psychiatric conditions. Many are more harmed by just prayer and no meds than are helped.
Neither of you might have meant to imply this and I might just be sensitive AND am concerned for others who choose to give up meds or try to pray their way through illness.
Whether God chooses to heal instantly, incrementally, through invasive, or noninvasive means, through nature's storehouse, through touch, or mere word, He is the One Who Heals! Who are we to question His methods?
Doug you are absolutely right. It was not my intention to promote diet and pray without medications if needed. In fact I was given aspart insulin the 1st 24 hour then metformin/sitagliptin. I used the oral med given me for a week and then found my strict adherence to diet worked. No it won’t work for type 1 DM, though diet and exercise have great benefit in type 1 DM. You are right my type 2 DM is one disease that is responsive to diet. We can overcome appetite without liraglutide to curb our appetites. Praise the Lord. We tend to rely on medications to much, but when they are needed don’t hesitate to use them.
Depression is another disease that responds to Biblical therapy(trust in God) , diet(walnuts, and beans are the biggest contributors), and exercise. These will enhance your serotonin as well as sertraline. For mild bipolar or schizophrenia, they are good too, and may I add that for moderate to severe psychosis where medication is required, a healthy lifestyle helps.
Through it all, I have learned to trust Jesus, knowing that whatever health problem I may face, MY JESUS IS ALWAYS IN CINTROL even when death comes my way.
We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed. (2nd core 4:8)
therefore we do not lose heart, Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
At some point we experience loss of health, perhaps by old age and let's not lose hope. God says that He won't leave us in those trying moments. God has promised he will restore all those years we have been suffering in Joel 2:25. Paul had a thorn in his flesh and God encouraged him saying My grace is sufficient for thee..
I appreciate your words Gilford.
I hope readers read verses 5-18, they are all packed with hope and encouragement. I especially find solace in verse 16.
“Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.”
2 Corinthians 4:16 AMPC
Now may I change frequencies to the preaching mode, though it is late in the week and audience has dwindled?
What really matters is:
“And whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered and saved, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the remnant [of survivors] shall be those whom the Lord calls.”
Joel 2:32 AMPC
What a great promise as we suffer. Paul confirms Joel hundreds of years later.
“For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved.”
Romans 10:13 AMPC
Great words Muyinda by Andare Crouch. Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God. Through it all, Through it all, I have learned to depend upon His word. I’ve been to many places, I’ve seen many faces... Muyinda I really appreciate your testimony.