Searching for Healing and Wholeness

Searching for Healing and Wholeness June 27th, 2021

Scripture Readings: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27; Psalm 130; 2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43

This is my last sermon given at Fern Prairie UMC. I will continue to share my writings at This Man's Search for Meaning – Notes on a Life of Faith. (davidking.blog).

Friday was certainly a big news day, as we continued to see images from the collapsed condo near Miami and heard the of the 22 1/2-year jail sentence for Derek Chauvin, convicted killer of George Floyd, whose death sparked an ongoing movement. Both are further evidence, as if we needed any, of the great suffering people have to endure in this world. Some will ask how God allows such things to happen to us, and the only answer we can give is that such horrors are the results of the fallenness of our world. From the beginning, satan has been there deluding us and leading us astray.

Time will tell where these two news stories will lead us. Racial tensions will continue, and the suffering caused by the condo collapse will change the lives of many people forever. As we get more of the story, it will most likely lead to changes in how buildings and other structures are maintained, in this time of expensive infra-structure debates. We also wait to see what direction that story shall go, once stories of the lost begin to be told.

Have you ever wished that Eve had just said “no” when the serpent offered her that apple? Can you imagine how different are world would be?

It is hard to image what the woman with the ongoing hemorrhage has experienced, especially when you are young and healthy. It is not until you get older and have prayed for a long list of people with ongoing medical issues or stand by a loved one or experience such a thing yourself that this story takes on true meaning. For many people, ongoing suffering is a way of life.

In our time, long-term illness may hinder what you do, or lead to isolation, but it generally doesn’t mean that you will be shunned from society. This woman with a constant flow of blood would have been treated like a leper, considered to be ceremonially unclean, unable to support herself or join in with daily communal life. She most likely was not just sick, but starving and lonely. We aren’t told where she got the money for doctors, but she is now destitute and dependent on the generosity of others.

When we read such stories in the Bible, we must always remember that the sick person was not just healed from sickness by Jesus but given wholeness and a new beginning. To some extent, the two stories connected in our reading may start differently but end in the same place. Jairus and the woman are societal opposites: a poor woman and a rich, powerful man. But each is given healing through their faith in Jesus. The sick woman and the dead girl are both given new lives, and the opportunity to have a full life.

Jesus says: "Do not fear, only believe." Sometimes, those words are all we must cling to, especially in times of loss and suffering. As we all know too well, suffering is just part of our lives, something we have to endure. The apple didn’t just bring sin into our world, it brought hard physical work, sickness and death. Someday we will get beyond these bodies, and no longer must grow old and infirm, but have new bodies with Jesus. Our faith in Him drives us on; His promise that we will one day be free from pain and suffering comforts us.

It is always hard to believe our suffering will have an end when we are in the midst of it, but there is more to the experience than just healing and the end of suffering, we want to get our lives back, we want wholeness. Not just health, but fullness, a sense of purpose, the ability to pursue our dreams. In the midst of suffering, we may see nothing else, our hearts are breaking, we are scared, we find it hard just to carry on. The promise in Jesus is that the suffering will end. Some here on earth will be healed; some of you can say you were one who was. But even those who are healed in this lifetime will still have to deal with suffering. We all do.

But some will not find healing in this lifetime. We ask God why, and don’t get an answer. We pray for healing, but it doesn’t come. God only knows why things are this way, it seems so arbitrary. When healing doesn’t come, we can’t give up, or satan wins. In the midst of suffering, we still search for healing, even if it is just emotional or mental. We may not be healed physically, be Jesus promises that we can be healed from fear. Sometimes it is best for those who suffer to leave this world to be with Jesus. But as long as we are here, we continue to honor God by seeking to live with a sense of purpose and in service to Him. We keep striving for wholeness even when our bodies won’t allow it.

My nephew was born with cerebral palsy. Physically, he is severely limited, but mentally is very active. His greatest desire in life is to be able to speak more clearly so he can communicate better, social butterfly that he is, and to flirt better. He has a thing for pretty blondes, and they generally are snared by his charm and ready smile.

He has had countless medical procedures, even trips to Europe for ones that are not available here. He has been prayed over all of his life. He has been featured in news stories on TV, and has spoken to students at nearby medical schools, sharing what it is like to be him. He may have been given a body that has hindered him, but he has managed to have a full life, with the best parents anyone could ask for, and he is fully loved and more loving than most “able-bodied” folks.

We all wish more for him, but he he has touched more lives in his 22 years than most of us ever will. He probably will never be “healed” in this lifetime, but he is a source of healing for us. His courage and quiet dignity inspire us, as do his parents, who have never given up when lesser people would have. He teaches us to look for the simple joys in life, such as going to Starbucks and the library, caring for dogs, and loving us with a full and open heart. With him, relationships come first. He inspires gratitude for this life we have, as difficult as it may be.

Certainly, having good health is a blessing, but for some folks, it’s not going to happen. What perhaps is worse are those people who are healthy but waste their lives in frivolous and self-serving things, never giving anything back or making life better for those in need. Even if a person is not physically healthy, it is still possible to have a sense of purpose, a sense of wholeness. By wholeness, I mean, all things considered, you have a sense of how special you are to God and those who love you, and that you are not wasting your time here, no matter what your state in life is. To put it in Biblical terms, are you pursuing things that are pleasing to God, or not? Are you using the life God gave wisely, in His service and in service to His people? Any comments on what being “whole” mean to you?

Paul writes to the Corinthians:

Now as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you--so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. (2 Cor. 8:7)

What he is talking about is the collection that he has been gathering for the church in Jerusalem, which he mentions elsewhere. Apparently, other churches had been giving more than the Corinthian church, even though they were much poorer. Corinth was quite similar to many modern cities in America, relatively wealthy and secure, but with “anything goes” attitudes that led to great disparities between the “haves” and have-nots” and all sorts of selfish, sinful behaviors. And so, Paul exhorts them to not only excel in giving generously, but in all of the things that should be distinguishing them as disciples of Jesus. Paul continues:

I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. (2 Cor. 8:8-9)

The collection was not just about how much money was given, but how much of themselves they were giving. Jesus of course is our example. By suffering and sacrifice, we prove where are hearts are. How we use those other things (faith, speech, knowledge, etc) also shows where our hearts are. My definition of “wholeness” is another way to ask where your heart is. Wholeness comes from giving yourself away, not hoarding things for yourself. Brene Brown calls it “whole-heartedness”; embracing all things as they come in life, the good and the bad, allowing oneself to be vulnerable, living fully. We become whole when we live courageously and get out of ourselves and into the world, touching the lives of others in positive and meaningful ways. Pain and suffering can cause us to shut others out, thinking we are protecting ourselves, but preventing any movement forward. If we close off our hearts, we stop serving, and we stop growing.

Paul continues:

For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has--not according to what one does not have. (2 Cor. 8:12)

The actual amount given is not as important as your attitude in giving. Suffering can also inspire us to give more, to make the lives of others better. Most Americans define themselves by their possessions, comparing themselves to others, always coming up short. But with Jesus, we are made complete when we give ourselves away.

The translation of our Gospel passage today quotes our Lord as saying: “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36). This could also be translated as “have faith” or “trust.” When bad things happen, we trust God to use them for His glory, and for our benefit. In the midst of suffering, we try to find ways to make what comes afterward even better. When we suffer, we look for ways to make ourselves more mature and patient. When we come to an end, we trust God to bring a new beginning. Sometimes such things can be hard to see, but we still trust in God to bring us to where He wants us to be, and to make us better in the process.

So today is a sad day for me, as one phase in life ends, but a new one begins. As much as I will miss you here at Fern Prairie, I look forward to whatever God has in store, having been made better through the good and the bad here. I pray that this will be a step forward, even if I don’t know where I am going. When the road ahead seems rough, keep going, take the difficult steps, for Jesus goes with you. Trust in Him, and do not be afraid. Forgive those who hurt you, forgive yourself for the mistakes you have made and will make. In this life, you will suffer, you will experience loss, but Jesus will heal you and make you whole, completed in and by Him.