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Posts Tagged ‘healing’

Late on Purpose

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , on July 21, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 11:21, 32
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”… [32]When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

While it’s happening, we can’t imagine why God would allow bad things to come into our lives. Both Mary and Martha loved, adored and trusted Jesus, and yet, despite their complete confidence in his ability to heal, he was unable to arrive in time [at that point, I don’t believe they knew he delayed intentionally].

I always thought the women were expressing their disappointment in him and perhaps even chastising him a little. (Hey! You’re late! You missed the bus!) Instead, I believe their words expressed something else entirely: their faith in Him. In other words, they were confirming that there was a greater purpose in their brother’s death and trusted Jesus in that purpose. They allowed their faith to be stronger than their understanding.

They still experienced sadness as did Jesus. The circumstances were difficult. It was a trial. And yet, their faith was unshaken.

When we walk through the challenges in our lives, we must take heart from the story of these two sisters. We can always imagine in our human way that situations could have worked out differently, but “his ways are not our ways.” [Isaiah 55:9] If we can get better at accepting the “now,” we may see the miracle of tomorrow more readily.

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What is Sin?

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 19, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 5:14
Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

So, here was this man who had a fantastic miracle happen! After years and year on a mat, waiting for the waters to stir at the Pool of Bethsaida, Jesus came and healed him. Later, the man sees Jesus again. Was he astonished that Jesus admonished him? And what was his sin? We are not told what it was in this story.

But this story made me think about sin. Do we assume that because he was an invalid that he no longer sinned? Or was there a greater sin earlier in his life before he became bed-ridden? The implication here is that sin brings disasters into our lives.

For me, sin is a conscious act that I know is wrong or hurtful or law-breaking (either legal or divine). Sin begins in the mind and then is acted upon. There must be a decision or choice to sin. The problem comes when we know longer realize the acts are sinful. If we keep on sinning in a particular way, it becomes the norm. But there was a moment, a day, a time when the choice was new. It is important to find that kernel in our past.

There are always consequences to our thoughts and actions, whether good or bad. The consequences may not be immediate, but we are kidding ourselves if we don’t think they will happen. It’s the law of sowing and reaping. There is only one way to break this law and that is by grace that comes through the cross of Christ.

But before I can call on the work of Christ to block the reaping of my sins, I must face the reality of my sins. I must identify the sin. I must call it for what it is. And then I can I ask for the power of the cross to stand between me and those consequences.

Make me conscious today, O Lord my God, that I might lay the truth at your feet.

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Do I Want to be Well?

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , on May 29, 2009| 1 Comment »

John 5:6
When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

Do I really? Or am I giving the same answer as the lame man, “I have no one to help me…” One would think the answer would just be “Yes! Of course I want to be well!” But that isn’t always the case. Notice, Jesus’ question to the man was not, “Do you want to be healed?” but “Do you want to be well?”

What does it mean to be well? One of the definitions of “well” is “whole.” And with that in mind, the question is far more expansive. Do you want to be whole? Do you want to let go of the bitterness that is slowly eating away at your soul? Do you want to close the doors on past hurts and forgive those who have wronged you? Do you want to shed the disappointments that plague your contentment? Do you want to accept your face, your body, your intelligence, your talents, your abilities as the foundational gifts of the Creator just for you? Do you want to replace sorrow and anger with joy? Do you want to replace fear with courage and faith? Do you want to remove judgments of others? Do you want to see, hear, taste, touch, and inhale the renewing Spirit? Do you want to be whole?

Yes, Lord. I want to be well. I want to be whole.

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Afraid of Healing

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , on May 23, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Mark 5:15
When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

I’ve been contemplating what it would mean to me to see someone transformed before my eyes. Why do we fear miracles?

In some ways, I think it’s similar to growing up in a dysfunctional family (who hasn’t?) and recreating those patterns in our adult life. It’s what we know. It’s our little norm. Healing, then, is not part of the norm.

I think about my daughter’s recent diagnosis of fibromyalgia. She has had pain in her body as long as she can remember. She never knew that people didn’t hurt to get out of bed or pick up clothes off the floor. Would she recognize her body without the pain and with full range of motion? She can’t even imagine it or vision it.

And, I think about the people who surround those who want to change. I remember some years ago when I joined Weight Watchers and the group leader warned us about our friends: the very ones who might sabotage our efforts. “Oh, you can have just one cookie, can’t you?” “Oh come on, it’s my birthday!” and so on. I understand that alcoholics run into similar sabotage if the loved ones are not on board with the program. Enablers don’t like change.

Lord, don’t let me sabotage anyone who is trying to change! Don’t let me fear transformation… in myself or in others. (Mark 9:24b “…I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”)

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Open My Mind

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 3, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Luke 24:45
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

Today, I reached the final verses of Luke, in my tortoise-like study of the scriptures. I have intentionally read only 8-16 verses per day, reviewing their intent and seeking an application for me that day. From these daily readings, I have asked the Lord to build these meditations.

But I realized today that we can read and read, we can listen to sermons and teachings, we can write and write about we read and hear or see, but none of it will touch the heart or light a way without the Lord’s opening of our minds for understanding.

In the same way that Jesus opened the eyes of the two disciples He encountered on the road to Emmaus, He opens the mind. It is a healing!

Acknowledging that the mind or the heart or the eyes need to be opened is part of the process. In John 5:6, Jesus asked the invalid who had been lying on a mat for a long time, “Do you want to be well?” I believe Jesus is asking me (and all of us), “Do you want to understand?” Do I really want my mind opened? I do.

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Door Number One

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , on April 24, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Matthew 7:7
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Which door will I choose if these three are before me:

  1. Behind door number one are all the experiences that God has for me today. Some may be wonderful but some may be difficult. There will be both sorrow and joy.
  2. Behind door number two will be only the experiences that I want to devise. I can have total control over them. I would know before I opened the door what to expect.
  3. Behind door number three would be the experiences that someone else would select for me. I could choose the person who would pick them out for me. I could probably guess what would be there based on the person who I select to design my day.

We all know what the answer should be. If only we could trust God with our lives each day. Sometimes, I trust God enough to open door number one, but then, when I peek inside, I slam it shut.

Today, I have a follow-up appointment for my teenaged daughter who, apparently, has inflammation of the spine (rheumatoid arthritis). Today, we will hear what her prognosis and treatment plan will be. As much as I would like this part of the day to be behind door number two or even three, I must open door number one in faith. Give me the grace I need. Give her some too.

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What Is Lawful?

Posted in Lent, tagged , , , , , on March 16, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Mark 3:4-5
Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

It struck me this morning Mark reports that Jesus was angry. These glimpses at His emotional life are important and are telling. For me, his angry was fueled by the narrowness of the Pharisees. They had an agenda and no matter what happened around them or before them, they only knew one thing, Jesus was “breaking” a law that was foundational to their beliefs. I think the 21st century church shows signs of the same narrowness at times. Many have taken political and moral stands on various controversies from abortion to homosexuality to music and art or even the environment and made these the litmus tests for identifying a “real” Christian…. a “Bible-believing” Christian. Would Jesus be angry with us? In this story, there is no joy for the healed man? He was insignificant in the face of the law. Let us remember the person today… the sacred soul made and loved by God.

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