“Trust Jesus for Physical and Spiritual Protection and Healing”
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
Dear Fellow Saints whom the Holy Spirit has called, gathered,
enlightened, and sanctified: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and
Christ Jesus our Lord [Amen.]
“Entrust your days and burdens
To God’s most loving hand;
He cares for you while ruling
The sky, the sea, the land.
For He who guides the tempests
Along their thund’rous ways
Will find for you a pathway
And guide you all your days.”
(Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
754:1)
Gospel Reading...........................................................
St. Mark 6:45-56 (esp. 51-52 & 56)
51And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were
utterly astounded, 52for they did not understand about the loaves, but their
hearts were hardened. 56And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or
countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that
they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it
were made well.
Prologue: A brief catechetical review of “trust” or “faith”
reminds us in the words of Martin Luther’s explanation of The Third Article
of The Apostles’ Creed: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or
strength [trust] Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit
has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and
kept me in the true faith.” (Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation [ESV
Edition]. Copyright © 1986, 1991 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
Page 147.) That is, “The Holy Spirit sanctifies [us] (makes [us] holy) by
bringing [us] to faith in Christ … .” We need the Holy Spirit to do that
because “By nature, [we are] spiritually blind, dead, and [enemies] of God …
.” Because of that spiritually distressing situation, the Holy Spirit “has
invited and drawn [us] by the Gospel to partake of the spiritual blessings
that are [ours] in Christ.” In fact, “The Scriptures teach that by the
Gospel the Holy Spirit ‘enlightened [us] with His gifts,’ that is, He gave
[us] the saving knowledge of Jesus, [our] Savior, so that [we] trust,
rejoice, and find comfort in Him.” (Ibid. Pages 149-151.) “Trust” or
“faith”, therefore, is the sum of knowledge (information about Jesus that we
get from the Bible) plus assent (agreement that the Holy Spirit gives us
with that information about Jesus) plus confidence (belief that the Holy
Spirit gives us that the information about Jesus is true).
Today’s sermon text revealed that our Savior’s disciples’ “hearts
were hardened.” They did not possess “faith” or “trust” that Jesus had
power over the very things that He participated in creating in the first
place! And so, “they were utterly astounded” when the storm suddenly became
calm as soon as Jesus got into the boat. What was additionally amazing was
that people were miraculously healed of their physical ailments when they
touched His garment.
Why did He perform these and many other miracles that are recorded
in the pages of The Holy Bible? Did He do them simply to entertain His
audience … to astound the people and thereby gain great popularity among
them? No! He performed miracles to prove His divine nature and demonstrate
His compassion for mankind.
Since we have so many accounts of Christ’s divine power and
heartfelt compassion recorded in the Holy Scriptures, we don’t need
miraculous acts today. Instead, Jesus works through the minds, hands, and
mouths of people today to pass on to us His wonderful gifts. As He does so,
the Holy Spirit enables us to …
“Trust Jesus for Physical and Spiritual Protection and Healing.”
As we witness and personally experience His physical and spiritual
protection and healing, we grow deeper in our realization that …
I. Jesus Is Divinely Compassionate. (45-50)
45Immediately [Jesus] made his disciples get into the boat and go before him
to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46And after
he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47And when
evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.
48And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was
against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them,
walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49but when they saw him
walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50for they
all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said,
“Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
What life-issue is troubling you today? Is it emotional, mental,
or physical stress? Is it relational havoc with someone with whom you want
to be at peace but strife and discord dominate instead? Is it financial
problems that seem to have been dumped on you or you’ve brought about
yourself with poor money management? Whatever is terrifying you at this
time find comfort and consolation in what Jesus told His disciples, knowing
that it also applies to you: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” (St
Mark 6:50 ESV)
What that meant for His disciples then and us today is that the
all-powerful Son of God is with us in all of our life-problems. Although
sin blinds us from seeing Him with our physical eyes, we nevertheless see
Him with our eyes of faith when we read God’s Holy Word and see the bread
and wine of Holy Communion in, with, and under which His true body and true
blood are present. Although sin prevents us from hearing Him with our
physical ears, we nevertheless hear Him with our ears of faith when we hear
God’s Holy Word being read aloud, Holy Baptism being administered, the bread
and wine of Holy Communion being consecrated, and the words of Holy
Absolution declaring that our sins are forgiven.
Our Savior’s divine compassion becomes even more personally
evident and meaningful when we realize that …
II. Jesus Is the Divine Healer. (53-55)
53When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to
the shore. 54And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately
recognized him 55and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick
people on their beds to wherever they heard he was.
Of all the miracles Jesus performed recorded by Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John in their Gospel narratives, the category of physical healing
contains the most. He constantly sought to not only tell but also show that
He “came that [His sheep] may have life and have it abundantly.” (St John
10:10 ESV) In addition, the apostle Paul revealed that “our Savior Christ
Jesus, … abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through
the gospel … .” (2 Tim 1:10 ESV)
The harshness of sinful rebellion against the Creator introduced
bodily imperfections to mankind that the Creator had created sinlessly
perfect. Disease, sickness, infection, and countless other physical
maladies that plague us are all result and evidence of sin’s devastating
reality. The ultimate malady is death itself—both temporal and eternal—that
we all deserve because of our transgressing God’s holy Law. No matter how
small or large, insignificant or significant, minor or major, or unknown or
known the sin may be that we commit in thought, desire, word, or deed, it
makes us deserving of God’s harshest penalty—eternal damnation in the
horrendously painful fiery pits of hell.
And such would be our sealed predicament except for the merciful
and gracious fact that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (St
John 3:16 ESV) That eternal life consists of eternal healing of both soul
and body. It’s freedom from sin’s devastating effects. It’s joyfully
realizing that God our Savior “desires all people to be [healed] and to come
to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim 2:4-5 ESV) That truth is the simple
fact that “there is [health and healing] in no one else, for there is no
other name [other than the name of Jesus] under heaven given among men by
which we must be [healed].” (Acts 4:12 ESV) and the good news about Jesus’
self-sacrificial atoning work for sinful mankind “is the power of God for
[health and healing] to everyone who believes.” (Rom 1:16 ESV)
Although none of us sinful human beings will experience full
physical healing in this life, we have the certain assurance of such in the
glorious afterlife to which Saint Paul referred when he wrote: “For the
trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall
be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this
mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the
imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass
the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death,
where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death
is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 15:52b-58 ESV) God gave
a foretaste of that eternal glory to Noah and his sons when, in today’s Old
Testament Reading, we heard Him tell them: “Behold, I establish my covenant
with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that
is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with
you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I
establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off
by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to
destroy the earth.” (Gen 9:8-11 ESV)
So, whether Jesus directly intervenes with physical and spiritual
protection and healing as He did when He walked on the face of His created
earth over 2,000 years ago or indirectly through earthly means blessed and
guided by Him such as medical personnel, instruments, machines, medications,
and the like for physical protection and healing or God’s Holy Word, Holy
Baptism, Holy Absolution, and Holy Communion for spiritual protection and
healing, the bottom line is that by the power of the Holy Spirit we can and
do …
“Trust Jesus for Physical and Spiritual Protection and Healing.”
We do so because, as today’s Introit declared, “Great is the Lord,
and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. On the
glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will
meditate. They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will
declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant
goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.” (Ps 145:3, 5-7 ESV)
In addition, as today’s Epistle Reading reminded us, “Now to him who is able
to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the
power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph 3:20-21 ESV)
With all that in our hearts and minds let’s always pray with the
words of today’s Collect that God would “strengthen our faith and give us
courage to believe that in Your love You will rescue us from all
adversities.” Let’s do so knowing with Spirit-given trust and faith that …
I. Jesus Is Divinely Compassionate. (45-50)
and …
II. Jesus Is the Divine Healer. (53-55)
Let’s always and joyfully respond to that truth with today’s
Gradual that we’ve been hearing these initial weeks of this Pentecost
season: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For from him
and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
(Rom 11:33, 36 ESV)
God grant it all for the sake of Jesus Christ, His humble Son, our
holy Savior. [Amen.]
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
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