Death and Disease

            No one enjoys being sick. My family and I have come face to face with sickness and disease in various ways over the last month. Not only has most of my household recently had the coronavirus over the last few weeks, but my wife lost her grandfather after a long battle with cancer. Furthermore, while out of town with her family we got the call that someone in our church passed away suddenly.  

            In my time as pastor, and well before, I have seen how sickness and disease can eat a person alive. Disease has no prejudice- it will attack the old and young alike. It will come for those at the very pinnacle of health and those with compromised bodies unable to fight against it. It can come in and sweep someone off their feet where they were once strong and healthy one minute and the next their family is putting together funeral arrangements.

            The great thing is we have an amazing God who is not only able to comfort and strengthen throughout the worst our bodies can go through. Furthermore, He can take away any disease He chooses to take away. It all depends on His will- It was His will that those we have recently lost passed away. We don’t have to know why it happens, but we can rest knowing He certainly does.

            The incredible thing about all this is that it is all a result of sin. The bible is clear that death entered the world due to sin, and that because of that first sin by our first parents (Adam and Eve) we are all sinners today. Again, we don’t have to sit around and wonder why it happens to our loved ones. We all die because we all sin.

        The great comfort we have is that our God is a great physician. Now, interestingly, when the bible refers to Jesus as a physician- it’s not in reference to our physical maladies but our spiritual state.

            After the scribes and pharisees see Jesus eating with those they considered undesirable- they confront Him. Jesus responds, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17) Make no mistake- Jesus can heal any disease He so chooses. However, Jesus is mainly the physician of our soul. He takes those that are dead because of sin and gives them new life.

            Romans 8:9-10- “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

            No one enjoys being sick- come to the only one who can offer you true healing; one that is not temporary and gives you a life unimaginable by human thought.