Sermon: Healing in Sickness
Texts: Exodus 4:10-17, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, Psalm 103:1-10, John 9:1-9
Introduction
“Healing involves hope, strength, and guidance through challenges.”
Healing is one of the most powerful themes in the Bible, revealing God’s love, power, and purpose. Often, we think of healing only in terms of physical restoration, but biblical healing goes deeper—it includes emotional, spiritual, and relational healing.
The Hebrew word rapha (רפא) means “to heal, restore, or make whole,” as seen in Exodus 15:26 and Psalm 147:3. The Greek words iaomai (ἰάομαι) and therapeuo (θεραπεύω) describe both physical and spiritual healing, as mentioned in Matthew 9:35 and James 5:14-15. Healing is not just about removing pain but about revealing God’s greater purpose, as illustrated in 2 Corinthians 12:9 and 1 Peter 5:10.
Through the stories of Moses, Paul, and the blind man, we see three ways God works in our weakness:
1. Healing from insecurity (Moses): God strengthens us when we feel inadequate.
2. Healing in weakness (Paul): God’s grace sustains us when we struggle.
3. Healing for God’s glory (Blind Man): God’s power is revealed when we suffer.
Each account connects to the truth that healing is about what God does through us, not just what He removes.
1. Moses: Healing from Insecurity (Exodus 4:10-17)
* Moses’ Struggle: He feels unqualified to lead, saying, “I am slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10).
* God’s Response: Instead of removing Moses’ weakness, God provides help: “Who gave human beings their mouths? … Is it not I, the Lord?” (Exodus 4:11-12).
* He gives Moses Aaron to support him, showing that healing often comes through community.
- Healing as Empowerment: God doesn’t take away Moses’ insecurity but gives him the strength and support to overcome it.
- Healing Through Community: God provides Aaron to encourage Moses, showing that healing can come through the people around us.
* St. Augustine: “God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.”
* St. Basil the Great: “The love of God is best expressed in our love for one another.”
Many hesitate to answer God’s calling due to inadequacy, like Moses, focusing on weaknesses instead of God’s strength. God’s healing isn’t always about removing fear; it’s about giving courage and support. Are you insecure and holding back from God’s calling?
1. God’s Strength in Weakness: Isaiah 41:10 – “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
2. God’s Calling and Equipping: Jeremiah 1:6-9 – Like Moses, Jeremiah felt unqualified, but God reassured him: “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ … I have put my words in your mouth.”
3. Healing Through Community: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – “Two are better than one… if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”
Connection to Paul:
Moses’ story teaches us that God provides help in our weakness. But what if the weakness doesn’t go away? That’s what Paul experiences—his struggle remains, yet God’s grace is enough.
2. Paul: Healing in Weakness (2 Corinthians 12:1-10)
* Paul’s Struggle: He has a “thorn in the flesh” that he asks God to remove three times (2 Corinthians 12:7-8).
* God’s Response: Instead of taking it away, God says: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
* Paul learns that weakness is not a limitation—it’s a place where God’s power is revealed.
- Healing as Grace: God’s answer to Paul is not physical healing but sustaining grace.
- Healing Through Surrender: Paul embraces his weakness, knowing God’s strength is revealed through it.
* St. John Chrysostom: “God allows trials to humble us and draw us closer to Him.”
* St. Gregory of Nyssa: “The soul is strengthened not by the absence of trials but by the presence of God’s grace.”
Sometimes, we think healing means God removing our struggles. But Paul’s story teaches us that healing means relying on God’s grace. God may not remove our burdens, but He’ll give us the strength to endure. Consider that your greatest weakness could be where God’s power shines most.
1. God’s Power in Weakness: Isaiah 40:29 – “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
2. Suffering Produces Spiritual Growth: Romans 5:3-5 – “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
3. Trusting in God’s Grace: Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Connection to the Blind Man:
Paul’s story shows that sometimes healing is not about a personal benefit—it’s about revealing God’s power. This is also seen in Jesus’ healing of the blind man.
3. The Blind Man: Healing for God’s Glory (John 9:1-9)
* The Disciples’ Question: “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2).
* Jesus’ Response: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3).
* The blind man’s healing is not just about his sight—it reveals God’s power.
- Healing as Revelation: God sometimes allows suffering so that His glory may be revealed.
- Healing Through Faith: The blind man obeys Jesus’ command to wash in the pool of Siloam, showing that faith plays a role in healing.
* St. Irenaeus: “The glory of God is man fully alive.”
* St. Augustine: “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”
We often ask why God allows suffering. Jesus shifts the focus—not all suffering is due to sin, but it can be used for God’s glory. Healing isn’t just about personal comfort; it’s about pointing others to God. Can you see God’s work in your struggles before healing comes?
1. God’s Sovereign Purpose in Suffering: Romans 8:28 – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
2. Faith and Healing: James 5:15 – “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.”
3. Healing as a Sign of God’s Kingdom: Matthew 11:4-5 – “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”
Connection to Moses and Paul:
• Moses was healed through empowerment.
• Paul was healed through grace.
• The blind man was healed for God’s glory.
Each of these stories teaches us that healing is not just about relief—it’s about revealing God’s purpose.
Conclusion:
One Truth in Three Stories
The three stories show us a powerful truth:
1. Sometimes God heals by giving us strength (Moses).
2. Sometimes He heals by giving us grace (Paul).
3. Sometimes He heals to reveal His glory (Blind Man).
Healing is not just about what God removes from us—it’s about what He does through us.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” – Psalm 147:3
“There is a time for everything… a time to heal.”– Ecclesiastes 3:1,3
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.”– Revelation 21:4
Final Reflection:
Are you struggling with insecurity, ongoing weakness, or suffering? Trust that God is working in you. Whether He strengthens, sustains, or glorifies Himself through your struggle, His healing is always present.
Rev. Ranjith Selvadurai,
CSI Madras Diocese.
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