A father complained to Jesus because his son was not healed by the disciples. Jesus did not respond by blaming the father, the son, or the devil. Jesus did not theologize about why people are not healed. He did not fall back on the cliche that the boy will be healed "in God's time."
Surprisingly, Jesus considered the father's complaint justified. He agreed that the boy should have been healed, and blamed His disciples for their lack of faith (Mt 17:20). There are reasons why people are not healed, but Jesus doesn't seem to be as interested in these as we are. He focuses on the faithlessness of the Church rather than the weaknesses of the sick. Jesus doesn't want to talk about why people are not healed but wants to heal them by increasing our faith.
Let's get on with healing the nations, beginning with ourselves and those closest to us. We should rechannel the energies we're expending in analyzing, theologizing, and rationalizing into repenting, believing, and healing. Jesus is the same today as yesterday (Heb 13:8). Let's expect healing, and know the Lord wants to heal us much more than we even want to be healed.
| PRAYER: | Father, You love me more than any parent ever loved a child and You do not want Your children to be sick. May I let You heal me (Hos 11:4). |
| PROMISE: | "When, therefore, you eat your fill, take care not to forget the Lord." –Dt 6:11-12 |
| PRAISE: | St. Clare's love for Jesus was so great that she renounced all her possessions to live an impoverished life in solidarity with St. Francis and Christ. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College