Based on a chapter called the Final Judgement in Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini’ s book “Piccolo Manuale della Speranza – Vivere con Fiducia il Nostro Tempo” [A Small manual of Hope – Living our lives in Trust]. Giunti Editore S.p.A. Milano, 2012.
All biblical quotations are from ‘The Jerusalem Bible’, Darton, Longman & Todd, London, 1966.
The key words we have examined until now were all “positive”, that is, liberating concepts. We have not considered “negative” words that also form part of our daily vocabulary like “sadness”, “anxiety”, “desperation”, “crisis”.
The Christian key words are positive even when they concern negative realities, because the negative realities are taken up and transformed by the “Good News” of the Gospel. Jesus is man’s redeemer; he is the one that comes to save what there is in man.
The key word “Gospel” was positive. It gives us courage as it shows us that there is a way out. Similarly, the word “conversion” changes our lives for the better. “Faith”, which means trust, be trusting and create trust is also a positive concept. So is the word “baptism” as it is an immersion in the powerful mercy of God. “Forgiveness” is also positive as it destroys animosity.
Now we will be reflecting on the word “healing”. Some may question this choice as the word does not appear to form part of the Christian vocabulary. In fact, however, the word “healing” and the verbs that indicate healing are found very frequently in the gospels.
In Mark’s gospel, which we are mostly following, we often read that Jesus healed many sick, people affected by different diseases (1,34)*; “for he had cured so many….” (3,10). And even when in Nazareth Jesus could not perform any miracles due to the lack of faith of the residents, the gospel adds “though he cured a few in his own house”. (6,5). At the end of Mark’s gospel, we find that even the disciples themselves “they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.” (16,18).
A word closely related to healing is health, good health. In Mark’s gospel, Jesus tells the woman who had suffered from bleeding for many years “Your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint.” (5,34). Here we can notice two things.
The first: Jesus does not heal as a doctor does. The healings are called “miracles” that is, acts of the merciful power of God.
The second: Jesus’ cures depend on faith he finds or wants to arouse. In fact, he praised the faith of the woman who had the haemorrhage. The healings are meant to save the sick persons holistically, that is, body and soul.
We may ask: What does Jesus heal? What does he cure us from?
In a passage in Mark’s gospel, we read about a paralytic that could not be taken to Jesus because of the large crowd. Those helping him, tear open the roof and lower him down in front of Jesus. At this point, the evangelist says that Jesus “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘My child your sins are forgiven.’” The people however thought this was a bit over the top, thinking that only God can forgive sins. “Jesus, inwardly aware that this was what they were thinking, said to them, ‘Why do you have these thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven” or to say, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and walk?” But to prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he said to the paralytic, ‘I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go off home.’ And the man got up, picked up his stretcher at once and walked out in front of everyone”. (2, 8-12).
What did Jesus do? Jesus heals going to the complexity of human pains. He offers a healing that goes deep, that commences from the source of inhumanity and anything that has the ability of disfiguring the face of man. Jesus’ external healing is a sign of the radical internal healing that he gives.
These words are however still somewhat abstract, leaving the question “what does Jesus heals us from?” unanswered.
To make it clearer we need to ask ourselves what we need to be healed from. Note the plural – we. This is a need that affects us even as society. And the ailments that need healing are many: violence, desperation, defeatism, shirking of responsibility, loneliness, dejection. We need profound healing from all these aches.
Jesus offers us healing by offering himself as a friend, by his presence and support. As the resurrected Son of God, he offers man at each moment the power of God as the power of salvation.
The healing offered by Jesus is the effect that the risen Lord produces by meeting us in baptism and in Christian reconciliation.
The words of the psalms come to our aid again. Extracts from psalm 41(40)**.
Happy the man who cares for the poor and the weak:
if disaster strikes, Yahweh will come to his help.
Yahweh will guard him, give him life and happiness in the land;
ah, do not let his enemies treat him as they please!
Yahweh will be his comfort on his bed of sickness;
Most carefully you make his bed when he is sick.
By this I shall know that I enjoy your favour,
if my enemy fails to triumph over me;
and I, whom you uphold, go unscathed,set by you in your presence for ever.
* 1,34 means chapter 1, line 34.
** There are 150 psalms, numbered from 1 to 150. Regrettably, the Jewish and Christians numbering systems differ from psalm 9 onwards. This is because some psalms are merged in one system and not in the other. That is why you will see 2 numbers for each quoted psalm with a number higher than 9.