The Gospels tell us that Jesus
spent a large portion of His life and ministry healing people; making the lame
walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, the dead living again, and lepers whole. Was
his motive to have compassion on each person according to their need, to
display his authority and power as God’s agent? Is it possible that God wished
to radically expand the community He calls the kingdom by restoring those who
were excluded because of their illnesses? This
morning’s gospel is the first story in Mark of Jesus’ public ministry. He has
found His “fishers of men” and now He is starting to speak to the public. It
just so happens that He starts this ministry in Mark with an act of healing,
following an authoritative teaching, which soon has the whole town talking. It
would be like if you were a scientist and your first research project resulted
in a cure for breast cancer. To that end, Jesus hits the mark every time;
revealing who He is and giving us a new sense of God’s greater
plans.
“The healing power of faith” is one
of those phrases we hear so often that it has become a dreaded cliché. How many
of you have really thought about what it means? What does it mean to have a
faith so strong and powerful, that it heals? How do we know what faith is, and
what do we mean by healing: a cure or something that goes deeper than the physical?
According to the Hebrews, the body
and soul are inextricably intertwined; if one is suddenly out of balance the
other is soon to follow. In Greek the verb sozo means both to heal and to save, and the
word soter means both savior and
physician. In Buddhism and Hinduism, they believe that there are 7 distinct chakras of the human body that keep us
in balance and draw us closer to the Divine. The Chinese and other cultures, to
bring understanding of stability and longevity, study the concept of qi. These concepts are all famously
embodied in some fashion in The Force
in the “Star Wars” films.
We are constantly seeking ways to bring
balance to our lives. Some of us practice yoga,
another ancient concept meant to bring balance between spirituality and
humanity. Most of us pray, in hopes that God will hear our request for healing
and bring the desired balance back into our lives.
All our prayers for healing in
times of sickness liken us to the woman who sneaks up in a crowd to touch
Jesus’ robe, believing that touching the robe will heal her. “He said to her,
‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your
suffering.’” (Mark 5:21-23)
The Gospel of Mark often portrays
Christ as a servant. We read stories of Jesus reaching out to the poor, the
outcast, those living on the fringes of society. Then, being ill often meant being excluded from community; so healing restored one to the group which is more
than individual wellbeing. He reaches out a hand to those men and women who are
so desperate for that healing touch, so desperate to believe that they can be
healed. He shows us that compassion, love, and faith can be the most powerful
tools in our arsenal as servants of God. He tells us that no matter the
circumstances, no matter the struggles we feel we are facing, God is always
there to lift us up if we but reach out and touch His robe.
Anyone can pray for healing; you
don’t have to be a priest, and you don’t have to just pray for yourself. The
Prayers of the People are the most well known way we pray for the healing of
others, but you don’t have to wait for Sunday morning services. If you are with
the person, try laying your hands on them and asking God to use your hands and
your faith to bring healing upon them. You may feel foolish at first, but
with God, He asks only that we try. Remember, there is no right or wrong time
to ask for healing from God. If you are seeking healing for yourself, there is
a wonderful little prayer in the BCP on page 461.
“O God, the source of all health: So fill my heart with faith in your
love, that with calm expectancy I may make room for your power to possess me,
and gracefully accept your healing; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
It is important to note, that we
are not always seeking healing from illness and disease. Sometimes the sins we
commit can cause us to feel out of balance. In times like this, we can seek the
help of Christ, but it can also be beneficial to involve another person. This
kind of prayer is called confession; and
once again, you don’t need to go to a priest. Sometimes it can be therapeutic
to simply “confess” what’s on your mind to a close friend, and pray about it
afterwards. God doesn’t want us to live in suffering and pain. We have only to
ask to receive His forgiveness and grace.
