“A
Healing or a Cure?”
February
23, 2003
The
Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel
Saint
Luke’s Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Lessons: Isaiah 43:18-25; 2 Corinthians 1:18-22;
St. Mark 2:1-12
Isn’t that just the way it is!? We tell God what we want, and He gives us
something else. We tell God we want a
new BMW—and we get an Escort—used. We
tell God we want to be a movie star—and we get a husband who likes to take home
movies. We tell God we want an “A” on
our big test this week—and we get a “C”.
We tell God we want to be CEO of a major corporation by the time we’re
50—and we get laid off. A paralyzed man
is carried by his friends to the house where Jesus is, and they lower the man
down, through the roof, in hopes that Jesus will heal him of his paralysis—and
Jesus forgives his sins!
Now,
that may seem altogether different, the account in our Gospel lesson—from those
other examples of what we ask for, as opposed to what God gives us…but, is it
so different? The fact is we come to
God with all kinds of requests—things we think we want, things we think we
need—even altruistic things, like healing for our friends and loved ones—a cure
for paralysis—but instead of getting what we want, we get something else. Although in our gospel account, Jesus ends
up restoring the paralytic to physical health, it’s only AFTER some of the
scribes sitting there are questioning Jesus, in their hearts. And he cures the man, not so much to prove that
he can heal, but to prove that in Him, is the full authority of God—the
authority to forgive sins—which for Jesus, appears, clearly, to be the main
thing! It appears that way, because
when these men bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus, what they’re wanting, is
physical health. They want Jesus to
cure the man of his physical ailment—and Jesus says, “Son, your sins are
forgiven!”? St. Peter Chrysologus,
Italian bishop writing in the fifth century about this event said, “The
paralytic hears the words of pardon, and is silent; giving no thanks, for he longed rather for the healing of his
body, than of his soul.” And isn’t that the way it is? We yearn for the healing of the body, while
Jesus focuses on the soul. We are more
concerned for earthly, temporal, worldly things—while God offers us the
spiritual. We DO care about things
like—cars, and grades, and jobs; and
physical healing, of the body, for us, and for our friends and loved ones. We do pray, at times, for things we want,
rather than things we need; for
physical, earthly health and well-being, rather than for forgiveness and
spiritual wholeness. And we are
disappointed, when God doesn’t give us what we want. We feel let down, when God doesn’t seem to answer our
prayer. After all, isn’t that what St.
Paul is saying in his writing to the Corinthians, in our second lesson? Isn’t St. Paul saying we should expect a
“Yes” from God, and not a “No”?
Ah—but
we have to actually read what Paul IS saying.
And he’s not saying that God never says no to us. He’s not saying that God says “Yes”, to
everything we want. St. Paul’s not
saying that anything and everything we want, and want to do, is okay with
God. What Paul is saying, is that in
Jesus Christ, all of God’s promises, will be done for us. Paul says, “For in him, in the Son of God,
Jesus Christ, every one of God’s promises is a ‘Yes’.” Which means—when we ask for what God has
promised, the answer, in Jesus, will always be “yes”. When we ask for God’s will, in Jesus Christ, the answer will
always be yes. And how do we know when
we are asking for God’s will? How do we
know what are God’s promises, in Jesus
Christ?
Well,
there are many sermons yet to be preached, explaining God’s will. But in this gospel lesson, God’s will comes
out loudly and clearly. One of the
promises of God that will always receive a “Yes”, is the promise of
forgiveness! And that is Jesus’
primary, ultimate concern, because Jesus knows the difference between a cure,
and a healing. Professor John Pilch, a
Roman Catholic biblical scholar at Georgetown University describes the biblical
difference this way: the process of
conquering a disease is known as curing;
the process of restoring meaning to the life of a person, and that
person’s family and community, is known as healing. Jesus views illness and physical infirmity, as one of the many
misfortunes that come upon us in this life.
Curing illness or infirmity, as with doing away with misfortunes in
life, really has little effect upon the meaning and purpose of one’s life. Jesus knew that, even in his time, lots of
people could cure illness and disease.
Jesus knew that some misfortunes of life worked themselves out. Whether that happens or not, doesn’t really
matter. Because what matters,
ultimately; what really makes a
difference in life, is not whether one leg is shorter than the other; not whether you are bed-ridden or not; not whether you are rich or poor. Value and meaning in life, come not from
your physical condition, but from your relationship with God. Being in a right relationship with God,
heals a person, and allows that person to have meaning and purpose in life—no
matter what their physical situation.
In fact, being in a right relationship with God, can actually transform,
infirmity, illness, misfortune, so that it is no longer misfortune, but
opportunity. Which is why, when the man
who is paralyzed, is brought to Jesus by his friends, Jesus sees, first, not
the paralysis—not the physical limitation, but the spiritual need. Which is why Jesus says to the man, first,
“Son, your sins are forgiven!” Because
by forgiving the man’s sins, Jesus is healing the man—Jesus is putting the man
back into a right relationship with God—because then, the man will have purpose
and meaning in life, again. Then, from
his bed, the man will be able to live life as a blessing, to God, and to his
friends and family around him. Because,
a man, lying paralyzed, on a mat, can still have purpose and meaning in
life. A man, lying on a mat, who is
right with God, can be full of joy and happiness. Just as a person who has cancer, who is right with God, can be a
blessing to friends and neighbors, bringing the love of God, to them, as he or
she has received the love of God, themselves.
The point is, that purpose and meaning in life, have little to do with our
physical conditions or situations—and have everything to do, with being in
right relationship with God. Because
though many people can cure—only God, in Jesus Christ, can heal. And when you are healed—when you are
forgiven of your sins, cleansed of your guilt, restored to wholeness in Jesus
Christ—you can be freed of your anger and bitterness, freed of your self-pity and self-centeredness, you can be given a
new reason for living, and then you can serve God, in whatever situation you
find yourself.
And if,
as with the paralytic, there is a physical cure, fine and good. People will be amazed and will glorify God,
when there is a physical cure. But the
more important thing, is forgiveness—which brings true healing. The most important thing, is forgiveness of
sins, that puts us back into a right relationship with God, through Jesus
Christ—opening the door, or maybe the roof, for new purpose and meaning in
life, whatever our physical, earthly condition. May God grant us to be amazed, and to glorify Him, not because
the sick are cured and misfortune is averted—but because sins are
forgiven!
In the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.