Sickness considered as coming from the hand of GOD,
as the effects of His mercy.
The John 5: 1-16 account of the curing of the 38 year ill in the five porticoes of Bethesda is puzzling. Maybe one of the different views of Jesus is how he took in his strode the strange programmed ‘miracle’ in “the pool when the water is stirred”. Jesus does not question the other cures or other aspects of the sick man, of the custom, of the Jews.
The story embodies the living response of Jesus, embracing his understanding of the lives of all and seeing it all in the Father’s will.
The “stirring” reaches to the welcoming acceptance of sick or health.
“Do you want to be well?” says Jesus and his question prompts the opening of heart and deeper sense God’s presence.
Jesus does not analyse the chronic cripple or the long life hypochondriac. He casts the characters of the play of the divine presence.
Saints and holy people read the script as lovingly as the Heart of Jesus.
The Gospel queue may well be taken from a Letter of Brother Lawrence, the French monk (Carmelite) who lived from 1611 to 1691. Prior to becoming a monk he was known as Nicholas Herman of Lorraine.
Brother Lawrence
The Practice of the Presence of God
being Conversations and Letters of Brother Lawrence
Good when He gives,
supremely good;
Nor less when He denies: Afflictions,
from His sovereign hand, Are blessings in disguise.
Eleventh Letter
To one who is in great pain. God is the Physician of body and of soul.
Feels that he would gladly suffer at His wish.
I DO not pray that you may be delivered from your pains; but I pray GOD earnestly that He would give you strength and patience to bear them as long as He pleases.
Comfort yourself with Him who holds you fastened to the cross:
He will loose you when He thinks fit.
Happy those who suffer with Him: accustom yourself to suffer in that manner, and seek from Him the strength to endure as much, and as long, as He shall judge to be necessary for you.
The men of the world do not comprehend these truths, nor is it to be wondered at, since they suffer like what they are, and not like Christians: they consider sickness as a pain to nature, and not as a favour from GOD; and seeing it only in that light, they find nothing in it but grief and distress.
But those who consider sickness as coming from the hand of GOD, as the effects of His mercy, and the means which He employs for their salvation, commonly find in it great sweetness and sensible consolation.
I wish you could convince yourself that GOD is often (in some sense) nearer to us and more effectually present with us, in sickness than in health.
Rely upon no other Physician, for, according to my apprehension, He reserves your cure to Himself.
Put then all your trust in Him, and you will soon find the effects of it in your recovery, which we often retard, by putting greater confidence in physic than in GOD.
Whatever remedies you make use of, they will succeed only so far as He permits.
When pains come from GOD, He only can cure them.
He often sends diseases of the body, to cure those of the soul. Comfort yourself
with the sovereign Physician both of soul and body.
I foresee that you will tell me that I am very much at my ease, that I eat and drink at the table of the LORD.
YOU have reason: but think you that it would be a small pain to the greatest criminal in the world, to eat at the king's table, and be served by him, and notwithstanding such favours to be without assurance of pardon?
I believe he would feel exceeding great uneasiness, and such as nothing could moderate, but only his trust in the goodness of his sovereign.
So I assure you, that whatever pleasures I taste at the table of my King, yet my sins, ever present before my eyes, as well as the uncertainty of my pardon, torment me, though in truth that torment itself is pleasing.
Be satisfied with the condition in which GOD places you: however happy you may think me, I envy you.
Pains and suffering would be a paradise to me, while I should suffer with my GOD; and the greatest pleasure would be hell to me, if I could relish them without Him; all my consolation would be to suffer something for His sake.
I must, in a little time, go to GOD.
What comforts me in this life is, that I now see Him by faith; and I see Him in such a manner as might make me say sometimes, I believe no more, but I see.
I feel what faith teaches us, and, in that assurance and that practice of faith, I will live and die with Him.
Continue then always with GOD: 'tis the only support and comfort for your affliction. I shall beseech Him to be with you. I present my service.
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