Today’s scripture illuminated a great mystery to me that may seem simple to you but that’s the beauty of it. Sometimes it is when we become aware of the obvious the intricate falls into view with it. Today’s message is about healing but I think as we dig deeper into the scriptures we are going to discover the richness of the verse of scripture that tells us that all things are working together for the good to those who revere the Lord. The question so many people ask is why does bad things happen to good people? Or how could God allow something like this to happen? Or else they point their finger at someone and say, they must have done something real bad to deserve that. Right now, before we go any further, let’s get beyond that and really seek the kingdom of God and learn from Him.

            One of the things I wanted to say this week is how terminology determines our behavior. The direction I am going with this is in the idea of being a “Christian.” With that title or label comes a certain stigma. Do not get me wrong I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am also proud to be called a Christian. And Maybe it is just me but I want to be more than a “Christian” I want to be a “disciple of Jesus The Christ.” To be a “disciple” is to be closer than anyone else. To be a disciple is to put all your trust in Him. To be His disciple is to learn from the Lord of Lords. It is an opportunity for the creation to interact with the creator and fulfill our destiny and purpose.

            One of the most wonderful graces that God gives us is the depths of His word. The passage of scripture that I have chosen for us today was written by Luke. The main thing we know about Luke is that he was a Greek physician. He was a doctor. He spent a lot of time with Paul perhaps caring for and treating Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” So as I read this passage of scripture about Jesus commanding his disciples to go and heal the sick, I want to know what this doctor, who wrote these words, was relaying to us. First of all I do believe in divine healing. I know that Jesus is the same today, yesterday and forever. I also have personally witnessed God’s healing touch in both simple as well as dramatic cases. I just want us to make sure that we know exactly what task our Lord is asking us to perform. So bare with me as we go back into the original language and try to discern what this Greek physician wrote concerning the Great Physician, Jesus Christ our Lord.

            The first word I want us to look at is “Heal.” Luke uses the Greek word “therapeuo.” In the Greek it has basically two meanings the first is to heal the second is to serve. At first glance you can see that there is an English word that derived from this word. It is therapy. Now keeping that in mind let’s look at the second word, which is “Sick.” Here Luke uses the word “asthenes” which suggest someone unable to help himself or herself.

            Do you know the verse in the Bible that says, “God helps those who help them selves?” Well, first of all there is no verse in the Bible that says anything like that, and secondly and more to the point of today’s message, Jesus teaches us almost the exact opposite. God wants us to help those who cannot help them selves. It is the call of God upon all of our lives to do what ever we can to help whoever we can. We are not to be weary in well doing and we are to know that God is able to supply our every need. Jesus did not necessarily send out these 70 disciples to lay hands on the lepers or raise the dead from the grave. His instruction to these, and to us, is to apply loving therapy, to serve, all who need it. Show mercy to the week. Rocco shared with me a song this past week that sang about everyone crying mercy but no one knowing the meaning of the word. To many people are shouting be healed and not enough people are meeting the real needs of the sick. I guess the only way some people are gong to learn how to treat sick people is for them to get sick them selves. That is sad because I was one of those people. I never knew about physical suffering. I was not raised around people who had any real illness. I always enjoyed great health myself. God took me to a place of sorrow in order to show me the therapy that His people needed from me. People who are hurting do not need us to accuse them of either not really hurting in the first place or  not having the faith to be healed. It is like Job’s “friends” sitting there telling him that he must have sinned real bad to be getting treated like he was. Hear what God says to Job’s friends:  (Job 42:7 KJV)  And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

            OK, let’s stop right here for one cotton picken second. Why is it that it is always the people closest to you that hurt you the most? Either a friend will let you down or a loved one will desert you. It makes it hard to trust anyone doesn’t it? And it is the times when people hurt us that we want to get revenge. We want Justice and we want to be the ones that enforce it. I know a good many of “Christians” that have sought after personal injustices only to be hurt further. As a disciple, Jesus tells us a more excellent way: (Romans 12:17-21 KJV)  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

            We have all been hurt and it hurts the most when we are hurt when we are down by someone we trusted. You know it is like a cat that sits on a hot stove, it will never sit on a hot stove a second time. But then it will not ever sit on a cold stove ever again either. We can over learn our lessons sometimes. Do you know what I mean? We have shut up our hearts and built up walls so that no one will be able to hurt us again. The problem with them walls is that is does not allow anyone to apply the true healing therapy of God’s love to our deep wounds. I think God is asking us to take some chances. He does not send us to step out in faith with out first equipping us for the task. In this 10^th chapter of Luke we read in the 3^rd verse how Jesus warns us that he is sending us out as “lambs among wolves.” He never said it was going to be easy, but He did say it would be rewarding. He never said it would be without tribulation and persecution but He did tell us that it would be fulfilling. He never said that we would never be sick but he did tell us that we could comfort others with the same comfort that we found in Him though our ailments. Read with me real quick this passage in (2^nd Corinthians1: 4 KJV ) Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

            We have each been called to be vessels of God’s Love and pour out that love on those who need it most. The mystery that I learned from this week’s scripture is that as you give loving therapy, not only does it bring about healing but also it gives you yourself better health and makes everybody happy. Healing, health and happiness. It all comes from doing unto others, giving and it will be given, Loving the Lord with all your heart and loving others as your self. Healing, health and happiness is from God, for you, this week, today, right now. Are you ready to receive? Then you know what to do!