Sermons

Jesus Wants to Heal You

The Rev. Beth Ellis

Jesus wants to heal you. Did you hear me? Jesus wants to heal you. No, I’m not talking to the person behind you. This is not a message for the person sitting next to you. It’s not for the person that always comes to mind When you think of those you wish Jesus would heal. This is for you. You, who right now are beginning to protest; To say, “But I’m fine! I don’t need any help!” You, who are beginning to squirm, And wish I’d change the subject. You, who aren’t even sure you believe in Jesus. You, who persist in the delusion That you’re either not worth God’s healing Or that you’re above it. Jesus wants to heal you.

Oh, you’d say, but there are so many others Who need it more than me. You might say, “My problems can’t possibly be significant enough for God to take notice.” Or perhaps you think, “The problems I have are a bit embarrassing. I was hoping that no one, least of all God, had noticed.” Or maybe, “I don’t need God’s help. I can handle things myself.”

Jesus wants to heal you. You, who show the world your brave face. You, who pretend that you can handle it all alone. You, who smile in public and cry alone. You, who are terrified that others will discover Your vulnerability, your pain, your fear, your humanity.

Jesus wants to heal you. And it’s time for you to let him do it. The energy that it takes to keep up the charade Is draining you. The wall that you’ve built around yourself To project an image of self-reliance and power Is cutting you off from the life-giving And truth-telling of the Holy Spirit. It’s time to let Jesus heal you.

Yes, it would be easier to stay within the cocoon Of safety you’ve woven for yourself Because even a place of pain Once you’ve lived in it for awhile Becomes predictable and gives the illusion of security. But caterpillars who build cocoons Must eventually emerge or perish. They must take the risk of emerging into the unknown Or they miss the glory and freedom of flight.

It’s time to let Jesus heal you. Whatever piece of you is sealed up In that dark place that you created To hide, seclude and protect It’s time to let Jesus shed His warm, healing light on that dark place and set it free. It’s time to take the risk of trust again And to open yourself up to new life.

Now you’re thinking I’m crazy. Why on earth should you open yourself up When that means taking such a huge risk? You think, “What if I get hurt again?” “What if I trust God, and I don’t get healed?” “What if I’m not even sure I believe?” The fact is, living means risking. If you’re not risking anything, you’re just existing. And Jesus wants so much more for you. He wants you to really live.

It’s true: there’s no guarantee that you won’t get hurt (that’s the definition of risk) Jesus does not promise to shield you from all suffering But only to be by your side when you go through it And to heal you as you emerge from it. That’s the gift he was giving us when he hung on the cross. He said, “I know what it is to go through hell, too. I’ll never let you go through it alone, And I promise you that the suffering won’t go on forever.” New life and healing are always waiting for you at the end.

And for you who sit there thinking, “I asked Jesus to heal me once, and he didn’t answer my prayer. I’m not going to ask him again.” Consider a few things: Jesus only gives us His best and what is best for us. In answer to our prayers, Jesus may say “Yes”, “No” or “Not yet.” Most often, we’re so obsessed with controlling our lives That we even try to micromanage Jesus. Of course, we have no more control over our universe Than a kid playing with Matchbox cars has over traffic on highway 101. You can’t ask Jesus to drive and then refuse to hand over the wheel. And shouting directions at him from the backseat Isn’t much help, either. You have to really let God do his job. If we’re busy trying to be our own Savior, God has no room to work.

Perhaps you asked Jesus to heal one thing But he’s waiting for you to ask him to heal Something much deeper and more important. I can pray that Jesus will heal my physical scars And He might But he’s a bit more concerned about healing The scars on my heart and soul first.

Not sure that you believe all that? Did you leave God behind a long time ago? Never fear. He never left you. He’s been there all along: Even when you forgot about him; Even when He seemed inconvenient or irrelevant; Even when you couldn’t feel him. He’s been there right beside you. And he doesn’t need you to feel guilty about it. He just wants to get on with the present. Jesus wants to heal you.

Jesus wants to heal you because he loves you, Because you are his most precious child Because he aches for each day that passes as you go on suffering in silence Because his desire for you is wholeness, peace and joy. You have a choice, here in this moment, Just as you always have To persist in your silent pain Or to open yourself up to God. There is no formula, no secret ritual for getting His attention. In simply relaxing your grip on that painful place You’ll make room for Jesus’ gentle hands to work. Like a baby snuggled into her mother’s arms Let yourself be engulfed in the Savior’s arms. Trade the false security of your hiding place For the real nurturing of God’s embrace. He is waiting with His arms outstretched For you to reach out to him. And He will wait for as long as it takes Because you are far too precious to the one who created you To ever let you go. Jesus loves you and wants to heal you. Will you let him?

Amen