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Diseased
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Everything seems
to be a disease today. Whether it’s alcoholism or drug addiction or gender dysphoria,
or whatever is wrong with a person, it has become popular to consider all human
problems to be diseases. The problem is, that denies personal responsibility.
Whatever’s wrong with me, it’s not my fault. I’m not responsible for my actions
because it is a bug or a virus or bacteria or a genetic disposition or whatever
else that’s at fault.
On the other hand,
we have genuine illnesses and diseases: cancer, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, autism,
and a whole host of others. Most of you here have either suffered a
debilitating disease or known someone else who has—perhaps it was someone quite
close to you. It can be devastating in so many ways: so much time and money are
invested in health care; emotions wear away at a person; and even every day
tasks like eating are a lot harder. But perhaps the hardest part about disease
is the list of questions: What could I have done differently? What if I had
eaten only organic foods? What if I had exercised more, been more careful with
germs, washed my hands more often, or not gone out in the sun as much? And
there are other, harder questions: What did I do to deserve this? Have I sinned
in some way? Is this my fault somehow?
The bottom line is
this: no matter what the sickness or disease, the cause ultimately is sin. Now
don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that you will get cancer because you
were mean to your spouse or children. But Scripture teaches you, and you know
instinctively when you see this happen, that sickness, disease, and death are
not right. This is not how God made the world. Death is not a natural part
of life. Death was never a part of His plan. God created you to live, and to
live forever. But disease, sickness, and death are here because sin is here.
You can put whatever spin you want on it, but the truth is, you are all dying.
Yet in the midst
of this crushing reality, there is hope. These friends bring the deaf/mute to
Jesus and beg him to put His hands on him and heal him. They, and presumably
the man himself, recognized that this is not right, and that only God can make
it right. So they went to the only One who could finally heal both body and
soul. They went to Jesus. God uses many people to heal our bodies. Doctors,
nurses, moms and dads, all kinds of people go into the work of keeping you
alive and healthy and safe day after day. But for all of their strength and
power, all of their wisdom, years of schooling and knowledge, they cannot heal…not
forever, at least. Their words do not create life. They may only sustain it for
a while, stave off death for a moment or a day or a year.
That is the
difference between the word of man and the Word of God. Jesus sees this deaf
mute and speaks to him. He puts His fingers in the man’s ears, spits, and
touches the man’s tongue. Jesus walks into this man’s life in a way which no
one else could. While doctors and nurses may diagnose, they may prod and poke,
and perhaps come up with some solutions for a time, Jesus enters this man’s
life by His divine Word and touch. He says to this man a word in Aramaic: “Ephphatha,” that is, “be opened.” And the Word of God which
created everything opened his ears to hear God’s Word and loosed the man’s
tongue to speak His praises.
My brothers and
sisters in Christ, this is the healing you need—not the healing of your body,
though that may happen for a time on this side of the grave. No, the healing
you need can only come by the power of His Word. You need the healing Word of
forgiveness. You need the Word which creates faith, which causes you to cling
to Him and nothing else. You need the Word made flesh to be flesh for you. In
the midst of things you cannot understand, when you are in trial and heartache,
when you are hurt and despairing, it is the Word of God alone which will
sustain you: as it goes in your ears in the preaching of the Word, and as it
goes into your mouth in the Holy Supper of Christ’s body and blood. Come. Be
opened. Be healed. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all
understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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