The Greatest Miracle

What if Jesus healed me? How awesome would that be? I can't help but indulge the thought for a minute...sleeping without pain, moving freely (without pain), no more shaking, no more weakness, no more stiffness...at full strength. And there's more...no more depression or anxiety, peace - physical peace - in my heart. No more falling asleep in my chair, actually staying awake through a movie or tv show, thinking clearly - all the time. No more pills. No more surgery. No more degeneration, no more deterioration...but, wait a minute - is that true?

If Jesus healed me of Parkinson's - that would undoubtedly be wonderful. But, eventually, I would get older, and weaker, and get sick with something else...and die.

When Jesus was on this earth, He healed many, many people - and every single one was an awesome miracle: the leper whose skin became perfectly whole with just a touch, the paralytic whose body came back to life in an instant, the woman who had been sick for twelve years who was immediately and fully healed the moment she touched His garment, the man who had been blind from birth who could see for the first time in his life, and Lazarus - who Jesus did not just heal, but raised from the dead. Awesome, incredible miracles. But all of those people, including Lazarus, eventually died (in Lazarus' case - died again). Jesus had compassion on them, and healed them of their current, physical need - but that wasn't His greatest miracle.

His greatest miracle was when He Himself rose from the grave - because when He did that, He conquered death, once for all. And because He lives - we can live, too - forever. ("because I live, you shall live also." John 14:19b)

Parkinson's is not my main problem - it is just a symptom of living in a fallen world, where sin and death are the reality. My problem is my sin nature, and that I am a sinner - and the wages of sin is death (eternal separation from a holy God).

Jesus is able to heal me of the Parkinson's - but that is totally up to Him. I don't know if He will or not - He knows what is best. But as much of a miracle as that would be - the greater miracle, the greatest miracle, is that He has solved my greatest problem. He died on the cross, bore the wrath of God, and paid the price, the wages, for my sin. And I don't have to wonder about that one - it is already done. In fact, He said Himself, "It is finished."

Having Parkinson's, or any other disease, isn't the end of the world. The fact is, we're all human, we're all mortal, and everyone must face the reality of death. I don't pray for the miracle of healing, because I've set my sights higher - "keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:1-2) I already have the miracle of salvation, the miracle of eternal life, the miracle of being made holy - all through Jesus Christ. No, I don't pray for the miracle of healing - I pray that my life will glorify Him - because the greatest miracle...is already mine.


"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victoy. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Corinthians 15:51-57