Question 1

Does God care when I am sick?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 41:3The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.Matthew 4:23Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.Matthew 8:17This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.”Matthew 10:1Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.Matthew 15:29-31Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again!Mark 1:32-34That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. The whole town gathered at the door to watch. So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak.Acts 3:16“Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.”Philippians 2:27He [Epaphroditus] certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.Revelation 21:4“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”God has full authority over all sickness, and he cares deeply when we are sick. He has the authority and ability to heal whomever he chooses. Eventually, he will remove all sickness and suffering from all of his children for eternity. Sometimes he chooses not to heal a person here on earth, even a devout followers of Jesus. We do not understand why, but someday we will.

Question 2

What is a positive way I can respond in times of sickness?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 103:2-3Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.We should praise God for his ability to forgive our sins and heal our diseases—even if he chooses not to. We should praise God when he uses our sickness to move us closer to him and to others.Mark 2:1-12When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”James 5:14-18Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.We should enlist others, even the elders of our church, to pray for us. We should humbly consider if sin might be the cause of our illness and ask the Holy Spirit if there is something we need to confess as we seek healing. Remember, as Jesus demonstrated with the paralyzed man, our spiritual healing is of greater and more lasting importance than any physical restoration, which is always temporary.Proverbs 17:22A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.2 Corinthians 12:8-10Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.We should pray for healing but be content with God’s decision. If he chooses not to heal us, then we should look for ways we can minister to others through our sickness. We might end up having a greater impact on others when sick than when healthy.Psalm 73:26My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.1 Corinthians 15:43Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.Regardless of the condition of our health, whether we are well or sick, we can rejoice that God faithfully remains our strength. Our frail earthly bodies will one day be gloriously transformed for eternity.

Question 3

How can I minister to the sick?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 35:13-14When they were ill, I grieved for them. I denied myself by fasting for them, but my prayers returned unanswered. I was sad, as though they were my friends or family, as if I were grieving for my own mother.James 5:14-15Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.We should pray for those who are sick. Some may be healed, and others, though not healed, may still be strengthened spiritually.Mark 2:3-5Four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”Mark 5:25-34A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and told him what she had done. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”John 5:7“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”Often, there are practical ways we can help sick people get the help and healing they need. Remember that there are both effective services and significant limitations to what human physicians can accomplish. They, too, are God’s servants.Matthew 25:36“‘I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’”Luke 10:33-34, 36-37“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. . . . “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”Galatians 4:13-14Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself.We can help meet the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of the sick. We should be open to opportunities outside our comfort zones to help the sick in Christ’s name.

Question 4

Why does God heal some and not others?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 119:71My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.Psalm 103:2-3Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.Matthew 9:35Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.Luke 5:12-13In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.Luke 4:23-27Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. “Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”John 9:3, 7“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. . . . He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!John 11:4-6When Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days.Romans 5:3We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.2 Corinthians 12:7-10So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.God possesses the ability to heal all diseases. He chooses to heal or not heal for reasons we cannot always comprehend. But we can be assured that God’s love for us is the greatest love we can experience. We can also trust that God’s plan for our lives really is the best plan for us. It is because of his great love for us that he is preparing a place in heaven where trouble and sickness will be gone forever.

Question 5

Are there ways to avoid sickness?

Accepted Answer

Job 2:3, 7Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.” . . . So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.2 Kings 13:14When Elisha was in his last illness, King Jehoash of Israel visited him and wept over him. “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” he cried.Hebrews 9:27-28Just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.Sickness and disease strike the righteous and the unrighteous. Often it cannot be avoided but at best only be postponed. It’s best to be prepared for what happens after death.Exodus 15:26He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”Exodus 23:25-26“You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives.”Psalm 38:2-3Your arrows have struck deep, and your blows are crushing me. Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins.Acts 12:23Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.1 Corinthians 6:18Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.1 Corinthians 11:27-30So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.Our vulnerability to illness is a product of the fall of humanity into sin, but specific illnesses are not always caused by our sin. Obedience to God’s Word can help us avoid some sickness, because the Bible provides some guidelines for good health. For example, God’s warning to avoid sexual immorality will prevent us from contracting sexually transmitted diseases.Exodus 20:8-11“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”Exodus 34:21“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, even during the seasons of plowing and harvest.”Maintaining a healthy balance between work and rest will often help us avoid sickness.Acts 27:34“Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish.”Ephesians 5:29No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.1 Timothy 4:7-8Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”Physically caring for our bodies will often help us avoid sickness.Leviticus 14:54-57“These are the instructions for dealing with serious skin diseases, including scabby sores; and mildew, whether on clothing or in a house; and a swelling on the skin, a rash, or discolored skin. This procedure will determine whether a person or object is ceremonially clean or unclean.”Deuteronomy 23:13“Each of you must have a spade as part of your equipment. Whenever you relieve yourself, dig a hole with the spade and cover the excrement.”Good personal hygiene habits will often help us avoid sickness.

Sickness/Disease