Cortez: God’s will to heal

IS IT the will of God to heal us when we get sick? This Sunday’s gospel (Mark 1:40-45) allows us to look at the heart of God. A leper came to Jesus begging, “If you wish you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.” And the man was healed.

It was God’s will to heal the man with leprosy, but is it his will also to heal anyone and everyone who is sick? The general answer is yes and yes. We see many people pray for healing, and they get healed. I was once very sick, and like the leper, I begged God to heal me, and he did. On the contrary, don’t we also see other people pray for a cure, but don’t get cured and eventually die? We only have to look at the millions of people who preceded us on this planet or the many who have died in this pandemic. Some people pray for healing, and/or others pray for them, but they don’t receive what they pray for, at least, according to how they want their healing to be. God surely heard their sincere prayers, too, and he answered them, but their healing was in the light of the eternal and not the temporal. By their death, those who left this world in friendship with God moved to the fullness of healing – to a life in heaven where there is no more disease and pain, no more suffering and tears. That state of complete union with God – where there is inexplicable peace and joy – is, after all, the goal and destiny of every Christian.

Prior to reaching that state, however, many times, our corrupted world will bring us various illnesses and diseases. And until our borrowed life on earth reaches the full measure God willed for us, he will always choose to heal us.

Why will he do so? The all-encompassing answer I can give is that because God is good. We can stand on the following verses spoken by no other than our Lord Jesus Christ himself. “Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:9-11). Healing is a good thing and sickness is not, therefore God must be willing to give it as a gift to us his children.

Healing is part of our Lord Jesus’ ministry. Matthew 4:23 tells us that he went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. This mission, he also passed on to his disciples; “He summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness” (Matthew 10:1). To the church, St. James wrote, “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14-15).

Thus, when we are sick, we must always pray and trust God to answer us according to his perfect wisdom and purpose. Whether on this side of eternity or on the other side, we should hold on firmly to his promise of healing and salvation. It is the devil who delights in seeing us suffer; God is looking forward to restore us to the beauty of life. Let us remember what Jesus told us, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

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