Do you want to be healed?

I just finished listening to a sermon delivered by Brian Habig, pastor of Downtown Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC. The text was John 5:1-18. I tearfully listened to this sermon, titled 'Do You Want To Be Healed?' (listen to it here to figure out at which points I ripped off Brian). Brian spoke about the ‘good life’ – whatever version or variety we concoct the good life to be. My ‘good life’ would combine the material luxuries and toned figures of Desperate Housewives with the number and behavior of children of The Brady Bunch – all in a wheelchair accessible house.

However, the ‘good life’ according to the Triune God doesn’t start with our comfort and prosperity. God defines the Good Life as one where He is known and trusted. There are no promises of physical healing before Jesus comes back. God has provided means for temporal healing and relief – largely available to the modern Western world. Those means are good, but not permanent. Even if we are healed of an illness, injury, or protein mutation in the myelin shaft of the nerves, we will still die and face judgment.

God says we are blessed if we have One who has stood in that judgment for us. Jesus suffered while on earth – his chosen ones will suffer as well. The good life is not one that is free from struggle and strife, but one that knows Jesus will return to destroy death once and for all, to wipe away every tear, and to banish Charcot Marie Tooth.

My husband has had many people pray for his healing. Philip is a wise and godly man who has come up with a counter to these brothers and sisters who are suggesting that he lacks faith. After (the nebulous) they are finished praying for him, Philip prays that they will know what it means to suffer for righteousness’ sake. And which is the bigger blessing? To get up and walk or to fellowship with Jesus in his suffering?

Of course I want a good life for my daughter, too. Philip and I pray for her often. But do I pray that she will never know pain, always be flawless and beautiful, and find a male counterpart to this ideal? Or do I pray that she know Jesus – even in his sufferings and persecutions? That she trust Jesus, even if that calls her to Indonesia, to have CMT, or to cheer against Mississippi State University? Her educational and financial future already keep me up at night. But what should keep me up at night is whether or not she will trust in Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

So what is the good life? It’s living in the covenant promises made and kept by the LORD. Knowing that Jesus took on the covenant curses and gifted me with the covenant blessings. Living in that knowledge is the good life that God has given to me.