Abe and I discussed his creation questions, and then he thought for a moment as he waltzed around the tree. He asked, “How did Jesus heal people?” I leaned forward and looked into his big brown hungry eyes and said, “sometimes he reached out and touched them and they were well, one time he made mud out of spit and put it on a man’s eyes. The man went and washed his eyes like Jesus told him to do and he could see. Sometimes Jesus said, ‘be healed.’” Abe slowly reflected, “you mean he just touched them and they were healed.” “Yes, Abe,” I stated. “How could he just do that?” “Abe,” I said, “Jesus is God.” Abe thought for a moment then ventured into the next question.

Jesus miraculously healed people as he walked this earth. The healing that took place in their physical bodies, the healing of the horrible illnesses, the healing of blindness, the healing of paralysis, the casting out of demons all  bore witness to the healing Jesus performed on the inside. Jesus created holy hearts out of unholy hearts; Jesus exchanged his righteous life with the unrighteous; Jesus declared, “I have washed you and you are clean.” Peter proclaimed: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:14-25

The war that is raged in our soul takes place, in part, because we cling to the unrighteous and the unholy because we are really comfortable living unhealthy there. We want to be healed, but we may sorely misidentify what needs to be healed. We know unhealthy living; we don’t know how to cling to Christ’s word: “You are clean, you are whole, you are holy.” We are called to relinquish control of guarding our souls to the Good Shepherd, the overseer of our soul. He created our soul and he has made us holy by his word.

Christ Jesus, by the power of his Word, declares our hearts clean. Jesus declares, “you are righteous IN me!” When a tiny cabernet bud is cut away from its old self it bleeds; when the living, growing rootstock is cut in a “V” to become the host home for the bud, it bleeds. The grafters swiftly place the bleeding bud into the bleeding “V,” place a band aid around the two pieces. They form one flesh by the healing power of the life of the vine and grow to be a cabernet producing vine on rootstock that isn’t susceptible to disease.

Christ Jesus, by the power of his Word, grafts us into his life. We may not “feel” different at any given moment, but we are different. There is an objective truth we are called to trust in: Christ Jesus, the truth. IN Christ, our life is eternal; IN Christ, our heart is holy and whole; IN Christ, we have hope, peace, light and life. We know how to live unhealthy in the war that rages in our soul. Christ heals from the inside and Christ calls us to his life, his word, his healing. Christ calls us into his mercy and love.

How does Jesus heal? By his wounds we have been healed! Jesus draws us into his perfect life, his wounds, and his resurrected body. Jesus sustains our life by the living word, the bread of life and the living water. May God grant us courage to cling to Christ alone. May God grant us boldness to proclaim the wholeness he has created in us authentically in this hurting world. May God grant us the confidence of Abe to ask questions. May God’s peace that passes our understanding guard our heart and mind, soul, spirit and body in him. Blessings IN Christ, Cindy

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