True Healing

After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
Luke 7:1–10
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True Healing
We have been blessed to live during a time in which God’s creation has been revealed to us in such a way that we can diagnose and treat so many illnesses and diseases that just a few decades ago would have been all but fatal. Yet with this understanding, we can oftentimes forget that true healing, both physical and spiritual, comes only from God. In the account of the centurion’s servant, Jesus reveals His authority over every threatening foe, even death, by healing the centurion’s servant. How often do we try everything else before turning to the Lord when we find ourselves in similar desperate straits? Through regular worship, devotional time, and the reception of the Sacrament, God’s Spirit brings us into a deeper and livelier trust in Jesus. As we bring our troubles and ills to the foot of the cross, we receive true and lasting healing. It is there that we are given the cure for the soul. The blood of Christ heals all. May we always turn to His Word and Sacraments to receive the elixir of immortality.