The intern came by again today. I asked him about his schedule since it wasn’t Thursday or Friday and he said he was on-call today; he has to be on-call for a certain number of days. We chatted a little about weekend plans then he gave me homework. He wanted me to think about what Lazarus thought after Jesus raised him from the dead. I think the story is from John 11:1-44.
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
John 11:43-44 (NIV)
I’ve read this many times since it deals with ultimate healing. If God can raise the dead, surely he can heal something trivial like kidney failure. However, the verse right before is important. Jesus basically said the purpose of healing is to show people the glory of God. That also means that there is a reason for our sickness and suffering.
How did Lazarus feel after being raised from the dead? The Bible said Lazarus was sick, probably for awhile. I think before he died, Lazarus probably though, “Why doesn’t Jesus just heal me?” I know I’ve thought that on plenty of occasions. Afterwards, he would likely be very grateful, but as Martha and Mary said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21) Lazarus probably wondered why God let him suffer through his sickness, even letting him die, when healing could have come earlier?
Do I believe God can heal me? Of course. But I’ve stopped asking the “Why?” question since we’ll never know or understand. I believe I will be healing one way (miracle) or another (kidney transplant) in the end, otherwise the despair would be overwhelming. I also don’t know how God will use it to show His glory, but I’ve got to believe that’s the reason behind my suffering too.
Life with chronic diseases 