Often Jesus adds something to the actual healing. My favorite is the story embedded in the story of Jesus bringing Jairus' daughter back to life, Luke 8:40-56. It's the moment when a woman described as "suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years." This would have been understood at the time as a sign of guilt as well as a health issue. Easy to imagine her neighbors wondering what she or even her parents had done for her to deserve such punishment.
She does the unthinkable and squirms her way through a crowd to get close enough just to touch the hem of Jesus' garment. He notices and asks his disciples who has touched him. They don't get it. But he does and seeing her and hearing her explanation is immediately able to say "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."
Time and time again Jesus does more than just fix what's wrong. Instead he proclaims the transformation of a life because of faith. In other settings his proclamation is even more radical, "Your sins are forgiven!" and a man who was paralyzed can walk. Not only does he walk he goes about proclaiming his good news.
We are not nearly as good at this transformation stuff. Fixing is more our way of dealing with broken-ness. As a parish it shapes much of how we typically respond to problems and conflict.
But in faithfulness we are to seek a new life, not just a cure; a changed mind and heart, not just a question answered or problem solved.
Our Bishop Wright has a blessing he pronounces often that speaks to this notion of transformation:
"Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.
Make us,
melt us,
mold us,
fill us,
use us.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. "
Amen.
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