[Jesus] said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So, he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”

Mark 2:5-11 (NIV)

 

There is a deep connection between sickness and sin.

We get sick because of the curse of sin, not because we have committed a sin. Sin brought sickness and death into the world. However, Jesus demonstrated his power over sin by healing people from their sicknesses, and ultimately, we are forgiven and healed because of His finished work on the cross. It is here we understand sin is not a crime to be punished, but rather a sickness to be healed.

The religious leaders were offended by Jesus' remark because they believed that only God could heal and forgive sins, and they refused to accept Jesus for who He claimed to be. Our theology sometimes gets in the way of the truth. We might believe God for some things while not believing Him for others. This attitude causes us to be double-minded and confused about God’s character, making us unstable and easily misled.

While we believe in praying for healing and miracles as Jesus commanded us to do, we also recognise that not everyone experiences healing or recovery.

Every healing in life is transient, and we must not let our experiences of healing—or lack thereof—skew our view of God. Our responsibility is to pray, but the outcome rests fully in God. We hold to hope because God is love, and He will make everything right for us as His children. Not only now in the present but also in eternity.