Lord, You have been our refuge from generation to generation. I have said, “Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul, I have sinned against You.”
As Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to Him; and when he came near, He asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me receive my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Luke 18:35-43
Jesus healed many people during the course of His ministry. Many of these miracles are documented in the Gospels. There isn’t one instance where Jesus healed someone against their will. To the contrary, Jesus withdrew when He wasn’t wanted somewhere. In Matthew 13:58, following His rejection in Nazareth, His own home city, we read “And He did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” In many instances, Jesus asked whether someone wanted to be healed, before just healing them. In Luke 18:41, He asked a blind man, “What do you want me to do for you?” He (the blind man) said “Lord, let me receive my sight.” And after this, Jesus healed him. In John 5:6, in reading about the healing of a paralytic who had been ill for thirty-eight years, Jesus said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”
The line of the Doxology that we are examining today talks about healing. It asks God to heal our souls. The human being is comprised of mind, body and soul (spirit). All three are susceptible to illness. We have illnesses of body, and while God can heal anything, we generally find healing through medical people who serve as God’s vessels for healing. It’s the same thing with the mind. There are illnesses of the mind which we become more aware of as time goes on. And illness of mind doesn’t mean one is crazy or unstable. We all get illnesses in our minds, just like we all get illnesses in our bodies. Again, while God can heal any of these, there are generally healed through mental health professionals.
Everyone has illnesses of soul. Sin is not a physical or mental illness, it is a spiritual illness. Even those with the strongest bodies and most sound of minds fall victim to this illness. Loss of hope in God’s plan is also a spiritual illness which we all fall victim to at times, even the most devout of Christians. Perhaps this is the reason why this line is part of the Doxology, both to comfort us that it is normal to need spiritual healing, and to remind us to ask for it. Spiritual healing comes directly from God, sometimes with the help of a priest (confession) and sometimes through God speaking directly to us in prayer or in the Scripture or even through another person.
It is important to remember that God doesn’t impose healing on us. We need to ask for it. When we go to the doctor because we are sick, we are implicitly asking the doctor to heal us. When the doctor offers a prescription for healing, it is important that we follow it. After all, we can’t expect to be healed if we receive guidance from a doctor and choose not to follow it. In seeking healing from a doctor, we essentially agree to follow the guidance and prescription given. In seeking healing from Christ, it means that we recognize that we are sick and in need of healing. This requires humility. We are implicitly asking for guidance from the Lord (whether directly or through the church/priest). Once we come for healing, we need humility and obedience to follow through on God’s path to spiritual wholeness. It doesn’t do any good to ask for healing and then not follow the prescription.
There is a third critical component to spiritual healing, and that is patience, being patient as God’s plan unfolds. Each of us has a path to salvation. That path may be easy or it may be difficult. The ultimate healing is God admitting us into His heavenly kingdom. And that healing is on the table for everyone. Sometimes God does not allow physical or mental healing—that is not part of His plan. Many times we do not understand God’s plan. Sometimes the path to salvation may involve a long spiritual or mental illness. And the struggle to cope with the fact that one is not being healed of these things might create the spiritual illness of loss of hope in God. Thus, sometimes the spiritual healing comes not through elimination of struggle but patience to cope with the struggles we have.
The phrase, “Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul, I have sinned against You,” is sometimes sung more slowly, and with somberness and deliberate, because it is a heavy thing to ask God for healing, and recognizing that we have a soul that is wounded, either because of our choices or circumstances, and needs healing. In seeking healing for our souls, we also are expressing hope and faith in God’s plan for our lives, and implicitly praying for patience as the plan unfolds.
Finally, the phrase “You have been our refuge from generation to generation,” comes from Luke 1:50, “And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.”
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, for He has regarded the low estate of His handmaid (servant). For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent empty away. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever. (Mary’s song of Praise after the Annunciation, Luke 1:46-55)
Trust in God. Ask Him for healing. Follow His prescriptions.
