THIS Sunday’s gospel (Mark 5:21-43) reminds us that Jesus is Lord over sickness and death. With just a touch of his cloak, a woman who has been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years was healed of her affliction. And with just a command, the child of a synagogue official, who has been dead for a while, was raised back to life.
The First Reading (Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24) tells us that sickness and death are not the will of God. “God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. He formed us to be imperishable; in the image of his own nature, he made us” (1:13; 2:23).
Then why did sickness and death enter the human race? It is because of the works of the devil. “By the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are allied with him experience it. It was the wicked who with hands and words invited death, considered it a friend, and pined for it, and made a covenant with it, because they deserve to be allied with it” (2:24;1:16).
Of course, many verses in the Bible also tell us that God used sickness to punish and/or discipline. For instance, in the Book of Exodus is the story of God punishing the Egyptians with various diseases because of their hardness of heart, refusing to allow the Israelites to leave for the Promised Land. In Numbers 12 is an account of Miriam being afflicted with skin disease because of her rebellion against God’s prophet, Moses. And in 2 Samuel 24 is a record of a terrible plague sent by God that wiped out seventy thousand men over Israel, following King David’s ill-motivated census of the population.
It is generally the will of God that each one of us lives a full life. Most people are born healthy, with the potential to live long. Many, however, die early because of various vices that enslave them. Drunkenness, smoking, gluttony, sexual perversion, gambling − the list can go on and on – all these bring untold risks to health and wellness, many of which end up with sickness and/or early death. Other assaults to health are more subtle; some may even appear to be motivated by good intentions. Overworking and over-thriftiness, for example, although well-meant at times, make an idol out of money. They sacrifice physical health by abusing the body and denying it of what it needs to survive and thrive.
Not in all instances, however, is personal sin the cause of people getting sick or dying early. In John 9:1-3, we read, “As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.’” By the restoration of this man’s sight, the name of God was glorified.
Whatever be the immediate cause of sickness and death, the good news is that Jesus came to deliver us from both. Romans 12 reminds us that by the disobedience of our ancestor, Adam, sin crept into the world. The fruit of this sin was death. And because all of Adam’s descendants have sinned since then, it follows that everyone is destined to die. But thanks be to God, for to us believers, death is not the final sentence. “Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him” (Hebrews 9:27-28).
Yes, our bodies will die, but our souls will live forever. St. Paul writes, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Rightly so, for Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live” (John 11:25).
And as we continue to live our earthly lives, let us remember that just like the woman with hemorrhages, we can always turn to God for healing whenever we get sick. The thief, the devil, comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).
Seeking medical treatment when we are ill is a right thing to do, for medical knowledge also springs from God. Physicians are God’s instruments, but God remains as the Greatest Physician. Thus, when down with sickness, we should pray for healing – personally and/or with the community of believers. On the former, let us remember that God is the Good Shepherd who not only searches out for the lost and brings back those who are astray, but also binds up the injured and heals the sick (Ezekiel 34:16). And on the latter, let us take instruction from St. James who tells us, “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. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:14-16a).
Yes, our God is Lord of healing and life. Alleluia.