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“Do you want to be well?”

This seems like a silly question in today’s society. Of course everyone wants to be well; who would want to be sick? This is the question that Jesus asked a sick man in John 5:1-15. This man, along with many others, were hanging out at the pool called Bethesda. Many sick and disabled people hung out near this pool, because when the waters stirred, the first person into the pool would be healed. Jesus ended up healing this particular man he asked the question to, but this story is a good example of this week’s word - healing.

Healing is defined as restoration to health, and becoming whole in your life. It can be a physical healing from a disease or illness, or an emotional healing from hurt or heartache. In today’s modern society, we often look to doctors and medical professionals for healing, but it is important to look for spiritual healing as well.

When Jesus healed, he often took care of the person’s spiritual needs as well as their physical one. Another example of this is when he healed the paralyzed man in Mark 2:1-12. Jesus forgave the man’s sins as well as healing his body so he could walk again.

We see healing happen many times in the Bible. Jesus healed many people (Matthew 14:35-36 and Luke 6:17-19), and so did his disciples (Luke 9:1-2). The early church also performed healings, such as recorded in Acts 9:34 and 1 Corinthians 12:9.

Do miraculous healings such as these happen today? Definitely, though it may not be obvious. How many times have you heard of someone with an incurable disease suddenly be well? Medical professionals cannot explain it; it can only be explained as a miracle of God. A friend of mine had stage 4 breast cancer that had metastasized all over her body; after much prayer, she now has no signs of cancer anywhere! Healing still occurs today in very real ways, in the same way it occurred back in Biblical times - through the power of Jesus.