Jesus Healed - Day 6

“Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told [Jesus] about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.” (Mark 1:30-31)
I am writing these words on Ash Wednesday—yes, I know that is a bit OCD, but there it is. I knew I was going to be writing about Jesus the Healer and I was eager to get started. I do most of my writing and thinking and praying and getting-ready-to-preach right in church. I ask for God to join me, I remember all of you, I get on my knees, and wait.
As I am going into church to write about Jesus the Healer and I find a woman with cancer and her daughter. This woman is one of our guests from away, and her daughter had just flown into from the Midwest. She was about ready to start a very heavy round of chemotherapy tomorrow.
It made sense that I put down all of my notes, my bible, my computer, my thoughts about Jesus being the healer and just be in the moment with this child of God who is afraid, who needs healing, who wants God’s presence.
After talking with this woman and her daughter I decided to give them all the Jesus that I could, so we had ashes together, unction together, and communion together. There were tears and laughter and quiet and faith, and Jesus was there.
We all come to Jesus for healing. Physical healing, emotional healing, relational healing, vocational healing—we all have some disease in our lives.
Jesus healed long ago, and Jesus heals today. Now, I know that his healing power and why it sometimes seems to work and sometimes doesn’t—at least not how we would like it to—is a great mystery. I have spent many days with my head on the steering wheel of my car after visiting with someone in the hospital asking, pleading for God’s power to utterly, totally, completely, and physically heal someone.
I don’t know what is going to happen with the woman I just anointed for healing in church. What I do know is that Jesus’ healing power and presence and peace were all over her and all over our time together. She left here not downtrodden, but strong; not afraid, but courageous; not discouraged, but trusting.
How might you need Jesus’ healing hands in your life?