Timid or Presumptuous?
Why am I not healed? Why did my loved one die? There are persistent questions that even when not spoken out loud hang in the air when dealing with suffering, sick and dying people. Scriptures like Sunday’s Gospel, when Jesus heals a blind man then tells him, “Your faith has made you well” seems to just highlight the times when no healing is evident. (Click here to ready the passage from Mark.)
Just a couple of things to remember. First, there were many suffering, sick and dying people in Jesus’ day who were not healed. Bartimaeus was certainly not the only blind, handicapped or sick person in Jericho.
Second, the fact that Jesus healed one person in one circumstance is no reason to believe He will heal all. These are here to demonstrate who Jesus is, to turn us toward Him, not to promise that we will automatically be healed of every infirmity.
Third, when Jesus tells Bartimaeus that “Your faith has made you well,” it is not a formula for healing. The word translated “well” actually means more than simply healed of a condition – it means coming to a full state of wholeness and well-being. By opening himself to the work of God, his faith brought him to a place where he was more than simply healed – he was completed, made fully well. No doubt, he went on to other sickness and death. But he did so in the loving hand of God, and that is all we need to be truly well. And that offer stands for us!
None of this means we shouldn’t pray for healing! We are told to pray often and in all circumstances! And pray boldly! Never fear to lay before God your deepest desires! He already knows them anyway, so why play games? You may not find them fulfilled they way you want or imagine, but ultimately, you will be made well!
Where are your prayers timid?
This column appeared in the October 24, 2021 edition of St. John’s eNews. Click here for the complete issue.
If you are reading this at a different time, you may click here for the current eNews.
