Restoration Now

You might be a person who is steady as a moving train, right on course; your fuel is plentiful, your wheels right on the track. You are efficient and all your parts function, true to the design. If you are, I want to meet you; I thought you existed only in theory. Many of us out here have our basic selves, comprised largely as we would hope, but with aspects, we would like to change, improve, or get rid of. We have tendencies and features we like and those we dislike.

When we are sick, the things we want to change are even more pronounced. We want the fever gone, the rash faded, the cough cast out. When we are off emotionally or psychologically, we want to find stability. It can be even worse: severe illness, physical or mental is a grave torment from which one craves relief. The little things, real or imagined, we would like to change or the big encumbrances to our wellbeing, both have our attention. We would love to be free of their grip.

Jesus came across many who were sick, and his nature and message were declared in action as brought healing. Who is this Jesus? He is the one who announced the Kingdom of God and showed the signs of this reign by his action. Mark reports:

That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.  —Mark 1:32-39

Wow, stay with that scene. It is late, after sunset, and Jesus is with the fishermen, those he called as disciples. They are at the home of Andrew and Simon. You might remember, Jesus has just healed Simon’s mother-in-law of a fever. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. The fever just left her entirely. News of Jesus’s deliverance of the demon-possessed man at the Capernaum synagogue must have spread like wildfire because people from all over the Galilean district kept bringing people by the house who were sick or troubled by evil spirits. Imagine yourself standing with others near the doorway. What anticipation! The air must be thick with mystery and curiosity. What will he do? What is going to happen?

You know what happened. He heals great numbers of people who were suffering from various forms of the disease. Jesus expels evil spirits from quite a number of them. The massive indication of his divine energy and identity electrifies the crowd. All the people present are shown, God is with this teacher, and when they are in his presence, God is with them. The teacher then gets up, leaves them, and goes off to a deserted place. There he prays.

So it was Jesus who heals one to whom he has a personal connection through Simon, heals her with the intimate touch of taking her by the hand. Then he heals and liberates complete strangers from the region. Then he recharges and reconnects with his father, alone, in prayer. What an unfolding of divine action! What an epiphany!

I asked you to imagine yourself in the crowd of onlookers. You could also pause here to imagine yourself as one who was sick and coming before Jesus. See yourself as one possessed by a demon, and standing right in front of him: looking into his eyes, noticing the look of them. Then feel whatever it is that had the real you all tied up leave you completely. The bonds that constricted you fall away. Jesus moves on to the next, but your full attention is on how elevated you feel, wholly released. Though moved on, you yet sense the presence of the healer, remaining with you. You embody release, new freedom.

As beneficial as it is to put yourself vividly in this scene from the Gospel, we do best when we let ourselves know: Christ the healer is present with you now, even while you read these words. The words are coming into your eyes and forming thoughts in your head, but more significantly, the Word is very near you. Healing is the result. The Word is coming into your body, soul, and spirit. The Healer is closer to you than the device you are holding to read this. God, as some writers put it, is closer to you than your breath, closer than you are to yourself.

Again, think of the things going on with you right now that are a hindrance because they are not part of your true self. Do not just stand in the doorway, come right in; meet the good and powerful healer, Jesus. Place yourself before him. Feel all that needs to go fly from you. All the strength, freedom, and vitality fill you. At this moment, be among the great numbers of people who are healed.