Why Am I Sick? | Mark 5:25-34
How many of you love your momma? That’s not a loaded question. You don’t realize how much you love your mom until you have a chance of losing her. 5 years old: Mom, I love you. 12: Mom, I can’t stand you. 16: My mother is very annoying. 18: I’m leaving this house. 25: Mom, you were right. 30: I want to go to my mom’s house. 50: I don’t want to lose my mother. 70: I would give up everything to have my mom with me. A couple of years ago, as Hurricane Ian was barreling towards us, I got the call that my mom had suffered a heart attack and needed to have a triple bypass to save her life. I had to decide what to do, should I stay in Naples or drive up to Daytona? After prayer, it was best to stay here because of the hurricane and the unknown road conditions. But it was a terrible moment, thinking that I could lose my mom. It made me think about sickness and suffering; God, why would you allow your children to get sick and suffer? I remember talking to Mom after her surgery on the phone, and she said, “Son, it’s all a part of God’s plan. God is good and momma loves you.” She is doing well today and is serving the Lord. But not everyone has a mother who is still alive, not everyone survives a heart attack or an illness. Today, we want to start a two-part message on the issue of suffering.
Paul is writing to believers who are going through a tremendous amount of suffering. They had witnessed their friends and family being arrested, paraded at the circus, and killed for their faith by being crucified and set on fire. Others had gone through plagues, wars, and had been victims of persecution. The context of the first-century church was religious pluralism, moral insanity, and political instability. Paul writes this book to give stability and answers to some hard questions. In Chapter 8, Paul affirms the great truths of God’s perfect love and plans for His children. Today, we learn that sickness is a part of living in a shattered world, where people suffer in the shadows, but can find healing in the suffering Savior.