Healing of body and spirit

Mark 2: 1 - 12

And he rose...took up the pallet and went out....

This paralyzed man was healed in both body and spirit. This is a very significant thought for me as I go on to week two of the CPE. I think I am attracted to this special ministry because I have often realized that every sick person is more than just a physical body, needing to be fixed medically. However, very often, being a medical professional, I have been more conscious of my role to fix the physical condition, than to consider other aspects of a person's condition. Of course I am aware that emotional and spiritual factors play a role in many disorders, but at the end of the day, even though counsel is extended, most patients want immediate relief of symptoms. That's what they believe they are 'paying for' after all.

So here, Jesus shows me how he attends to both the physical as well as the spiritual needs of the 'patient'. He knows that the man will not go home a truly 'free' person, even if he can walk and jump! I am becoming more aware of how much 'bondage' a person can be in - emotionally and spiritually, even in the few pastoral care visits I have had so far. The medical side may in fact be more easily resolved. But Jesus the great Physician refuses to leave a person only 'half' healed. He did come to bring 'wholeness' (shalom) and 'fullness of life'. And being his under - shepherd /carer, it would be important to listen out for those factors that keep a person less than healed. From the input and our discussions so far, I realize this takes time, and more than one visit is necessary for it to become 'pastoral' rather than merely 'social'. It is certainly a challenge to trust that Jesus the Shepherd goes with me and that His Spirit in me imbues every visit with a special quality, if only I surrender my own agenda. My prayer at present is that 'I' get out of the way so there's room for him to be present in the interaction.