Thoughts for the Day

Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are set free from your ailment.’ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.’ But the Lord answered him and said, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?’
When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I started my full-time ministry as a Deaconess in an Ecumenical Project of Methodists, Baptists, United Reformed, and Church of England christians. We had a large ministry team, and one of the strengths of the group was concerned with the healing ministry. We would pray for our congregation and the world, and always pray for members of the team. I had suffered with a painful back from childhood and spent months in hospital in my early twenties. The ministry team wanted to lay hands on me and pray for healing, but I refused. I had no doubts that God could heal me if he chose, but I felt very strongly that having this pain helped me understand parishioners who were suffering.

Sometimes we forget that the Church has a Healing Ministry, entrusted by Jesus to His people through the power of the Holy Spirit, and exercised with reverence, love and compassion by His ministers. Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs to teach and heal (Luke, Chapter 10.1-9), and usually churches work in teams. Healing, through prayer and the laying on of hands, will often take place during Holy Communion. People can be healed in body, mind or spirit. Physical healing can occur, as can reconciliation between individuals, and spiritual healing may happen when our relationship with God the Father is restored.

Healing does not always happen. God may always say "No!", or it may be that we're not ready for healing; or we're asking for the wrong outcome. However, this should not stop us from praying for healing.

Heavenly Father,
You call us to have a fruitful relationship with You,
heal us spiritually,
so that we can hear Your call.
You call us to be whole,
heal us physically,
so that we can do Your work.
You call us to be one with others,
heal us mentally,
so that we can be reconiled to all Your people.
Amen.