Jesus Needs Your Help with Healing

The Gospel readings for the past two days provide examples of Jesus’ power to heal. In yesterday’s Gospel he healed Simon’s mother-in-law and in today’s Gospel Jesus healed the leper. As I read these two passages I realized that both healings involved action.

In Mark 1, we read about Simon’s mother-in-law, 

  They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on him. 

I often reflect on this passage and how Simon’s mother-in-law was healed and immediately took action as she waited on Jesus. The physical healing included a spiritual healing which reconnected her heart with Jesus. With the illness gone she was able to focus on what mattered most, which was giving her life in service of Jesus. 

In Mark 1, Jesus performs another miracle, 

   A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, “if you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. 

Both of these Gospel passages reveal that faith is active, not passive. We see actions like approached, grasped, helped, served, kneeling, begged, moved, stretched, and touched. Action is taken from those in need of healing as they approach Jesus, but Jesus also acts towards those who desire his healing. 

Everyone has an area in their life that needs the healing hand of Jesus. It could be a physical healing from an illness, a reconciliation in a relationship, releasing a spiritual stronghold that leads to sin, or deep pain from past wounds. 

I can remember for years begging Jesus for healing as I tried one diet after another. I was down on my knees with tears streaming down my face begging for healing, yet it always eluded me. As much as I wanted to be healed, I didn’t align my actions towards Jesus or towards the healing I desired. Yes, I prayed daily for weight loss, but I kept repeating the same self destructive habits day after day. It was like I stood a few feet away from Jesus wanting the healing, but not willing to release the spiritual stronghold of overeating. 

What I realized is that Jesus is willing and desires to heal. As he heals, it looks different for each person. There are the miracles of healing that happen instantly, but sometimes healing happens over time with your cooperation. Healing begins as you take action and as you take responsibility for the habits that are the source of your pain. 

The first step is to surrender completely to Jesus and his will for your life. In the surrender, you are allowing Jesus to work in his time and in the way that you need. Next, is to renounce any habits or behaviors that are obstacles to a complete healing. This could mean receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, renouncing spirits that keep you in sin, but then creating the habits that allow healing. Finally, like Simon's mother-in-law it is important to focus on what matters most and that is living your life for Jesus. Taking action in a way that others can see the light of Christ shining though you. 

Jennie is a Catholic Life Coach, Podcaster, Speaker and founder of Catholic Moms in the Middle. She equips and encourages middle-life moms to reconnect in their faith by breaking spiritual strongholds so they can finally lose the weight they've struggled with for years, to reconnect in their marriage and to discover where God is calling them in this new season of life.