Lord, The One You Love Is Sick

When Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was dying, their words were very telling: "Lord, the one You love is sick."

I can't get this out of my head right now. The world is sick. Creation is groaning. People are dying. Kids are killing themselves out of hopelessness. "Lord, the one you love is sick."

Remember, for God so LOVED the world, not hated it, that He gave His Son. Sickness is not a sign that He has withdrawn His love and favor, as the Pharisees of Jesus' day suggested and as the prosperity preachers of this day echo in their calls for money. It is a sign that our free-will decisions out of our flesh nature have engrossed this world and now the "rain" is falling on the just and the unjust. This sickness has spread like an infection into every aspect of our lives.

(If I sound angry/discouraged, it's because I had to do the funeral of a 15-year old former student this weekend. And I'm mad about that. Not at her. At me. And the church - for not being an agent of healing for these kids. We, the healed, know that these kids are sick.)

A huge aspect of the atonement is to bring healing. Using us. We are The Plan. We have to get our lives in obedience to His will and in surrender to the Spirit so that we can be a part of this healing process. We can no longer have our testimony be that of the prodigal son, forever falling and begging for restoration. We are called to be agents of healing - for others, and we can't do that if we are always the one on the doorstep crying for help. (Read Joshua 7:10 - 13)

It's time to break the cycle. The Cross is the cycle breaker. All sickness dies upon it. He is risen with healing in His wings.

Lord - the one You love is sick.