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June 8,
2008; The 4th Sunday after Pentecost Christ's
Healing Ministry
The healing presence of God in our lives makes all the difference. More and more, I think that the ministry of healing - in all its forms - is a (if not the) primary ministry of the church. Everyone needs to know that healing grace; we all need healing at sometime - be that physical, emotional, or spiritual. God reaches out to all with compassion, not because of who we are, but because of who God is. How do we as the church continue the healing ministry of Jesus for the world? What is the scope of that ministry? In our gospel reading, we hear about the different ways that Jesus brought healing to those who sought him - the scope of Jesus' mission is disclosed through specific events. Those with authority often condemned Jesus for the way he continually chose to be among the least respected in society. "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" It was a shocking thing for a teacher like Jesus to socialize with the outcasts and the unclean of society. There were rules against it. It is in accounts such as this that we see the love of God embracing everyone regardless of their place in society. To love and welcome all is a healing ministry. It is a healing ministry to which we are called. For everyone, and especially for those most rejected, the welcome of God as expressed by our welcoming church is a ministry of healing. When the self-proclaimed righteous of the day criticized Jesus for the company he kept, Jesus said that he came to call not the righteous but sinners. The healthy have no need for a doctor but those who are sick do. Now, we know that Jesus came for everyone. We know that all fall short of the glory of God. So rather than meaning that Jesus calls some and not others, I think the point is that some do not think that they need God or are not willing to admit that they need help. Those who claim to be righteous are not in a position to welcome the healing ministry of Christ. Jesus often asked people what they wanted from him. What could he do for them? Not everyone wants to acknowledge what they need or the limitations they
have; not everyone wants be that vulnerable. Being vulnerable is not easy for
anyone. But the rewards for honesty are great: God's strength is known in our
weaker moments. We hear in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians that he prayer that God would heal him from an affliction, but even through the healing of the specific problem did not come - Paul knew the grace and strength of God in his weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-12). The church continues the healing ministry of Christ when we are welcoming enough for all to know that they can be vulnerable here - people can be real here. I think that churches work better, and reflect the glory of God more intensely, when we acknowledge our limits and let the strength of God be our strength. Well, you might be thinking, "What else can we do." But even churches can get focused on their image rather than on who they are for God. At St. Paul's on the Hill, we do not come here to impress people with who we are, or how we dress; we come here for what is real, what is true, what is lasting, what is of God - and that is a healing experience. The scope of Jesus' ministry of healing deals with so much more than just physical healing. As I have been describing, the healing that we bring as the church to our broken world is often healing from wounds that are inflicted, not on the body, but on the soul. In fact, Jesus makes clear that physical healing is not the major challenge be for him. The healing of Christ goes much deeper. Even so, there are many accounts of physical healing in the Gospels. Jesus tells the woman at her faith has made her well - healed from the physical affliction that tormented her and isolated her from others. Jesus emphasized her faith to make clear that the healing was not magic. Accounts such as this raise questions about why some are healed and not others. Why some people receive physical healing and others do not really is a mystery. It is not that the faithful are healed and the unfaithful are not. That's poor theology. God's love is not dependant upon us. God loves and cares for all because of who God is. God seeks to heal everyone. Not often, but sometimes physical healing does occur in the context of prayer. Most of the time physical healing does not occur, but I believe that healing is happening on a much deeper level. Healing ministry is one of the gifts of this congregation. We offer healing prayers at every service - knowing that the care we have for each other, and the Spirit in the midst of us, brings healing. We carry on the healing ministry of Christ. The Church exists to be an agent of healing by providing ways of connecting with God. One of the ways we do this is through intention prayers for healing. On Wednesday nights at 7pm, during our healing prayer service, we form a circle and we all pray silently or aloud as we go around the circle. That circle of healing is an intensely joyful experience of God's healing through the care we have for each other in the power of the Spirit. If you have ever wondered what we do on Wednesday nights or if you are ever having a hard day or week, come and see if this could be a way for you to connect with the compassion of God. Finally, in our gospel today, Jesus raises a young girl from the dead. This account is included in the gospel of Matthew to show us that Jesus came to save and to heal in the most important way of all. Death is conquered through Christ. We will all be healed, and we will all experience the fullness of life through Christ. This is the reality to which we have been called as ministers of the Gospel. Everyday that we point to the deepest reality of God's healing love by our words and actions, we are united with Christ in bring healing to others. Amen. |
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