Speak Lord, your servant is listening. May only the truth be spoken and only the truth be heard. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

One of the most often repeated and powerful messages or teachings, which Jesus proclaimed during his earthly ministry, was that of healing. The desire to have his people renewed in body, mind and spirit was paramount to our Lord. He knew that this kind of change was needed in order for them to be God’s restored children and to fulfill their true destiny.

Fully one quarter of the Gospels talks about healing. Jesus had a healing ministry and so did his disciples. In Matthew 9, verse 35 we read-“Jesus went around visiting all the towns and villages. He taught in the synagogues, preached the Good News about the Kingdom, and healed people with every kind of disease and sickness”. In the next chapter, his instructions to the 12 – “go and preach – ‘the Kingdom of heaven is near’! Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, heal those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases, and drive out demons. You have received without paying, so give without being paid.” He then said later to the 72, in Luke 10 verse 9 – “heal the sick in that town and say to the people there. ‘The Kingdom of God has come near you’”. And now it’s our turn. We are included, by inheritance, in the next instruction from Jesus at the end of Matthew’s Gospel – “Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples…and teach them to obey everything I have commanded YOU.”  Please note, he did not say – ‘everything, except healing’!

The woman in today’s lesson was by all appearances suffering greatly from a debilitating disease. It was quite likely a form of arthritis, which Bonnie tells me, is called ankylosing spondelitis. Then, as now, arthritis has no known cure. There is treatment, medication and therapy, which can offer tolerance and bring some degree of relief, but it does not go away.

The woman was clearly a regular at the synagogue – Jesus calls her a daughter of Abraham. For at least 18 years she had been a faithful worshipper of God. What happens next is very remarkable. Jesus calls her to him. Note that she did not ask for healing or for anything. No one else spoke on her behalf. But Jesus knew exactly what she was suffering from and called her over. She probably did not realize who Jesus was. As we heard last week, many people in Jesus’ day did not believe him to be anything out of the ordinary.

A word here about a spirit of infirmity. The word spirit covers both the physical and spiritual aspects of illness. It is a concept, which we only recently have rediscovered and now acknowledge in medical circles. Just as we readily accept the skills of nurses and surgeons, so now do we also recognize the power of prayer in the treatment of the sick, for example just before surgery, or in psychotherapy. Groups of doctors are now studying the relationship of spirituality and health. Fully half of the medical schools in the USA have courses in spirituality and health. In St. Louis there is a Roman Catholic hospital which includes prayer in its therapy program. Perhaps the medical profession is trying to convert the church!

Our own denomination is adopting the ministry of healing in increasing prominence in our churches. Prayer for healing is often held at the conclusion of Holy Communion on Sundays. This is very encouraging.

In his day, many people thronged to Jesus, longing for some kind of healing, not really knowing or understanding who he was or where he was from. They just knew there was something extraordinary about him. Equally, there were many, which were healed without even asking or without being asked – simply by the presence of the Saviour among them. 
 

And so, Jesus declared the woman to be healed. In that moment he touched her and instantly she could stand erect once again. And in the same instant she knew it was the power of God, which had healed her, and she praised and thanked Him straightaway. It is important to note that the source of all true and enduring healing is God.

1 Corinthians 6, verse 20 – “For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body”.

Ephesians 5, verse 20 – “giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

1 Thessalonians 5, verse 18 – “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”.
 

Even more important perhaps than the question – IS THERE A GOOD TIME TO BE HEALED is DO WE BELIEVE IT? I think we all have a certain comfort level about the great commission and what it means to us. We have I am sure all told the story of Jesus to our children and grandchildren and to friends and maybe even to total strangers. Did we also tell them the part about Jesus healing the sick? 

Did you know that you don’t have to be a minister or pastor to pray for healing? How many of us can remember our father or mother praying with us for healing when we were young and sick? 

In James 5, verse 16 we read – “So then, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you will be healed. The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect”.

In the early centuries of the Christian era, the Roman Empire was converted to faith through healing. That was how people were evangelized. Most often it was one on one, people talking to other people and praying for them when they were sick. At St. James we have a prayer chain. The people in it pray regularly for healing for all whose names are given to them. It is a powerful weapon, witnessing to God’s love and action in our church community. And ask anyone on the prayer chain what sort of wonderful results they’ve seen of God’s healing power today.

Let me turn for a few minutes to another area of healing – inner healing, or healing of our spirit. God created us to be in perfect health, to enjoy to the full all the wonders he has wrought for us. After all, that is why we have healing, either through medicine or prayer, to restore us to the natural order which is normal good health. A major problem in our society is drug, alcohol and smoking addictions. These and other chronic habits of our lifestyle can be healed through the power of prayer.

Many of us are wounded in our spirits by events, which have happened in our past. Taking these to Jesus in prayer for forgiveness and for help in being able to forgive can result in freedom and healing we never imagined possible. 

In Matthew 8, verses 16 and 17 – “That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, ‘He took our infirmities and bore our diseases’.”
 

If we were exercising our God-given gifts to the fullest, wouldn’t it be wonderful to hear this phrase, which I long to hear over and over – “Oh, your friend is in trouble? Hang on, I’ll just get a Christian for you. They say Jesus can cure anything you know. It’s really quite remarkable. Doesn’t matter what it is – a problem or an illness – Christians have the power; it never fails, and they always declare it through this Jesus person”.
 

Sometimes we get caught up in rules and regulations to the extent that nothing is accomplished. That’s what happened in the synagogue. Jesus was criticized for healing on the wrong day of the week. How inconvenient it was that the woman continued to be doubled over and present herself to our Lord on the Sabbath! The officials of the day were far more concerned with the letter of the law than its actual intent. Rules governing animals and human-derived religious laws were placed above any concern for people. 
 

I believe it is safe to say that all of us know someone or know of someone who has been miraculously healed or delivered from some seemingly insurmountable affliction. I would even say that there are those among us today who can witness to God’s mighty healing power and grace in their own lives. This is one of the ways we know that the Kingdom has come near. It is not only near, it is here, giving us a glimpse of what awaits us in eternity with the Lord. In Romans 8, verse 23 we read – “and not only the whole creation but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies”. If you have not experienced healing, wouldn’t you like to? 

The Greek word for ‘I save’ also means ‘I heal’.  It is fully a part of who we are when we embrace the faith of Jesus Christ. We believe in order to receive salvation and restoration. 

Not everyone is healed. Why that is remains a mystery. What is true, however, is that the more we pray for healing, the more we shall see healed. Those who are not healed usually speak of the blessing of merely being prayed for. 

While all of us can be moved to pray for healing from time to time, there are some of us here today who have been given special gifts of healing. In 1 Corinthians, verse 9 we read about some of God’s gifts to His people – “to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,” Some can heal through Jesus. All can pray for healing, in Jesus’ name. 

We are covering a lot of ground today. I just want to mention briefly another area of need for healing. It is fair to say that many suffer from afflictions passed on from parent to child, from grandparent to grandchild, through the generations. I hope it does not come as too much of a surprise to you that malaise or ‘dis-ease’ applies not only to our physical but to our spiritual condition as well. After all, we are both spiritual and physical beings.

In Ephesians 6, verse 12 – “For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces in the heavenly places”.

The solution is the same. It is equally simple. Through prayer all manner of sickness and bondage can be healed. Freedom through Christ is available to all people. 

The word of God is eminently practical and leads to an abundant life, to real living. God did not give His word for a select group. He gave it for everyone, for you and for me. 

In 1 John 5, verse 3 – “For the love of God is this, that we obey His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome”.

And so the answer to the question ‘is there a good time to be healed?’ – is YES, there is. It’s today, right now; it’s whenever we encounter sickness or pain, be it physical or emotional, in all manner of suffering. It’s for you and for me, now, and always.

I sincerely hope you have enjoyed our journey over the past 3 weeks. We have looked at the ways in which we can prepare for the return of our Lord. The reasons for his coming have been reviewed from His word. And, I thank God we have had the opportunity to see how healing can work in our lives today, just as it did 2000 years ago.

One thing is certain. Just as surely as Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees in the synagogue, the people rejoiced in the wonders he performed. They had no doubt whatsoever that it was a good time to be healed. And for this we can truly say – Thanks Be To God. Amen and Hallelujah!