reflection
healing
OUR LORD’S MINISTRY OF b y D R J O S E P H S H AW
A
mong the best-known and best-loved stories of course, but by its of Christ’s earthly ministry are those nature, of his a change in a healingthesick.Inthesestorieswehearthe soul voices is above all inteof thesewhometHim:theirdesperation,their rior. faith, andtheirweaknesses.Theyareeasyforusto - iden The healing of tify with. They were among Jesus’ first followers, thebody,bycontrast, and they model for us the ordinary faithful: not the is very often visible: innercircleof Apostlesanddisciples,butthe those deafwho hear and the simplyheardtheWord,andbelieved.Theycame lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the paralysed rise toHimwiththeirproblems,andHehelpedthem. fromthebeds,thedeadreturntotheirlovedones Why, we might ask, is there such an emphasis alive.Thesethingsfrequentlyhappen,-intheGos in the Gospels on healing the sick? The miracles pels,intheopen,withacrowdlookingon:infront demonstratethedivinefavourChristenjoyed, of theand funeral party of the son of the widow of evenHisdivinepower:unliketheprophets Naim,of for the example. OldTestament,andtheApostlesinActs,itisclear This incidentally shows the absurdity of the that Our Lord cures by his own initiative, at will, idea that these stories should be understood as andnotasamereinstrumentof God.However,this non-miraculous. Someone in a coma might be couldalsobe,andalsowas,shownbyhisothermir thoughttobedead;someformsof skin-diseasemay acles:calmingthestorm,multiplyingtheloaves be amenable and to cure by hypnotic suggestion; but fishes,andeventhingslikeknowingmen’sthoughts, Jesuswouldhavehadtotrytorousethousandsof knowing where Peter could catch a shoal of corpses fish, and cure heaven knows how many lepers andescapingfromanangrymob. beforehecouldfindonewhowouldrespondtoHis Thecureshaveaspecialimportance,neverthe wordof command,if thiswasoperatingsimplyas less,becausetheyaresymbolicexpressionsa natural of thecause. He would have been regarded as core purpose of His mission: to save souls. alaughing The stock,notathaumaturge. conversion of Zacchaeus the tax-collector In(Luke anycase,thecureof thosesickinbodyserves 19:1perhaps 10),themostdramaticconversioninasanaptsymbolof thecureof thosesickinsoul. theGospels,isnevertheless,initself,hidden: The conversion peo of sinners is an interior action of plecouldnotseethestateof Zacchaeus’soul, grace; and thehealingof thephysicallysickisadivine they were at first doubtful about it (Luke 19:7). It interventionof avisiblekind.Bothkindsof malady is then manifested by his actions of repentance, areconnectedwithsinandthepowerof thedevil. Jesus healed a woman who was “bent over”, and S PR I NG 2 0 22
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