Healing And Forgiveness Both Come From God

Today’s reading: Luke 5:17-26

Verse 23 of today’s reading is puzzling: “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’?

So I did some quick searching on the internet this morning in hopes of finding some help with it. Sure enough, I found this from Andrew Wommack Ministries’ website.

“In Jesus’ day, the people were more prone to accept that God would heal than they were to accept that He would forgive sins without the keeping of the Law. Today, the church world basically accepts forgiveness of sins but doubts His willingness to heal. They were never meant to be separated.”

It’s intriguing to think that healing and forgiveness are the result of the same power.

In the emotional realm, this is obvious: even the sourest of relationships are healed by forgiveness, and forgiveness in these cases comes, very clearly, from God. (I’m thinking of the woman who visited my church several months ago to tell her blessed story of forgiving, and then befriending, the man who murdered her son.)

But, as the quote above indicates, it’s often difficult these days to see the relationship between forgiveness and healing in the physical realm.

Intellectually, I understand the relationship exists. Just three weeks ago, for example, I posted a devotional about this same story as it is told in Mark. My conclusion there was that, as soon as the man realized he was free from sin, he was then able to find the strength to walk.

But does this mean, when I am sick, my best bet is to first visit my pastor instead of my doctor?

Yes, I think it does.

Or at least it means I should pray. And the focus of my prayer should be on the most important lesson of Christianity: Jesus suffered much more than I ever will through any illness, specifically, so that all of my sins would be forgiveness forever.

Interesting. Yet another reason why I admire my own doctor so much: he’s the only physician I’ve ever known who has offered to pray with me over my diabetes.

There have been a number of times when I have found myself in remote locales, up to 100 miles from help if I were to need it. I’ve never panicked over that, but it’s always been a frightening thought. If I had my druthers, I would have rather been closer to civilization, and I always got back as quickly as I could.

But now I see the silliness of  such thoughts.

Remembering Jesus during a health crisis is even better than calling 911. He’ll be with me instantly. In fact, he never leaves unless I forget about him.

(To any secularists who may be worrying about that last paragraph, please know that I recommend calling both Jesus and 911 in a health emergency. I just think Jesus should be the first call.)

Thanks be to God for that great, glorious, healing power of  forgiveness. May I (and we) always remember it is with me.