Sermon on Illness
Today’s sermon message is on the Theology of Illness. As you may know, I typically preach off of the Gospel or Epistle text but every few months or so I will be preaching a topical sermon. This sermon is one of those.
Everyone here has been sick at one time or another. As we all know, it is no fun being ill, especially if it is an illness that is life threatening.
Over the week I read a book called The Theology of Illness. It is written by an Eastern Orthodox Christian and is a fantastic read. In fact, I will be ordering some soon, along with some other books, to be placed in the Narthex for purchase.
I discovered some very thoughtful things in this book. And I would like to summarize my readings with you today since I think that everyone of you can benefit from this particular topic.
The first thing that we must realize when tackling issues of pain and evil is the fact that we live in a fallen world. This means that the world that we live in is not the world that God first intended us to live in. The book of Genesis says that all of the things that God created in this world were good. But it also says that when Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God the world became cursed and the forces of good and evil began to collide, fighting against one another and eventually ushering in a savior to call the end to everything.
But this calling from our savior is not done. In fact, we are in the midst of his calling and we must battle with him. And part of our battles involve illness and overall suffering! What do we make of illness? How does it fit into this plan of saving the world and our souls?
We must realize that as Christians we are not exempt from illness and suffering but in fact we, in some ways, become more susceptible to them. The book of Job is the classic example of how God actually allows Satan to have his way with us when we need spiritual growth.
As the author of The Theology of Illness states, we must let go of our sinful passions to grow in Christ and many times it takes some suffering to get these passions to shake off.
Suffering, especially during an illness, brings us to as state of realization; a state where we are inwardly examining ourselves and our surroundings and are reminded that we are but dust. The Early Father St. John Chrysostom says “ It is for our good that we are victims of illness…since the pride stirred up within us finds a cure in this weakness and in these afflictions.”
First Peter 4:1 says, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin…
Christ’s suffering gives our suffering substance. Because of Christ’s suffering we do not suffer in vein, rather we suffer through him and for him.
Our suffering helps us leave our sin. So in one sense, we are actually sanctified through our sufferings. It’s not that we are being punished for our sins, otherwise one could be accused of being less of a Christian than someone who is not suffering an illness or trial.
What God does is he allows us to suffer so that we may rise to higher levels; levels of spiritual enlightenment; levels that are unattainable aside from suffering.
St. Chrysostom says this: “The physician is not only a physician when he orders baths, adequate nourishment, and when he orders the patient to walk through flower gardens, but also when he burns and cuts…”
God is our great physician and he not only prescribes to us walks through gardens but he also prescribes the cutting and burning. It’s a hard thing to endure but it is a necessary part of this life.
To some extent, we should honor the state of suffering! When we are able to do this, we can not only begin to understand the sovereignty of God much better but we can likely become healed faster. Many scientific studies have shown that a proper and humble attitude can carry your health a long way.
Documents of the early church show how Christians with terminal illnesses and severed limbs could remain in extremely calm states due to the way they perceived illness. We can also see in the Gospel how Christ says that certain illnesses are born to actually glorify God, especially when a healing takes place.
Terminal illnesses can also glorify God by preparing the Christian for the eternal state. Not every Christian will be given the opportunity of a preparatory illness, but God works in different ways with different people.
St. Augustine says this: “Take care of you life and God will take care of your death.”
Now it is certainly the will of God that people be healed, this is why the Church has taken up the ministry of healing. St. Basil of the 4th century was known for ministering to the afflicted and latter began the first hospital in the entire world, known then as a Basiliade. This was the beginning of the modern ministry of hospital as the Church continued to plant them all throughout the world.
So hospitals themselves are a gift from God, given to the Church. Most churches have now backed out of that ministry and have given this ministry to secular people to run – This is the result of modern doctrine that opposes the church and state relations.
We know that by examining the Scriptures that Physicians do indeed have a noble calling in life and are in many ways ordained by God for their tasks. St. Luke was a physician and was named by St. Paul, in Colossians 4 as “the beloved physician.”
Physicians help guide our healing process, although in our modern day many physicians refuse to include spiritual help such as prayer as a means to heal. And many physicians in America refuse to promote natural healing through herbs and other natural means.
My mother was recently diagnosed with gall stones and was required by a doctor to have surgery but decided to tray a natural healing method beforehand (just a special diet) and ended ridding herself of the stones.
God desires healing for us; many times he desires physical healing and always he desires spiritual healing.
The Church is here to guide us through these healings. In James, chapter 5, we see that God calls us to gather the ministers to pray for the sick and to anoint the sick with oil. This is why we have what the Prayer Book call “unction,” where we do just what James 5 requires us to.
There are countless stories of God healing through the work of the Church, and this is a great thing. But let us not forget, the next time we are ill, to consider how God wants us to be healed spiritually as well as physically.