Muskoka Lakes Ministry of Knox, Port Carling & Zion, Torrance
Sunday Aug 16, 2020
Sermon Series: The Ministry of Jesus
Message: Speaking Words of Healing
Reverend Glynis Faith (705-765-3797) (muskokalakesministry@gmail.com)

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Announcements
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 Lectio Divina Thursday evenings at 8pm via Zoom. If you would like to take part contact Rev. Faith to receive a Zoom invitation.
 If you would like a ‘socially distant’ visit from the minister, please call or email to set up a day and time.
 Joint meeting of Sessions, Tuesday August 18, 7pm in the sanctuary of Knox, Port Carling.
 A special thanks to our volunteer musicians and singers for sharing their time and talents with us. Thank you Edie Bard, Margo Murley, Paul Gockel, Jane Haapiseva, Michael Murley, Ken Shortt and Stan Hunter.
 A big thanks to Allan Diplock for delivering worship services every Sunday to people who are unable to join us via YouTube.
 If you have prayer requests, please call Reverend Faith (705)765-3797 or email (muskokalakesministry@gmail.com)

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Scripture
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John 4:46-53 (NIV)
Jesus Heals an Official’s Son
46 Once more Jesus visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”
53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.

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Message
“Speaking Words of Healing”
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Words can wound and words can heal.
Current events are filled with wounding words – angry words – words filled with pain and suffering – divisive and malicious words. These words provoke riots and acts of retaliation, fuelling hatred, fear and increased vandalism and violence. We hear shouts of conspiracy and calls for retaliation.
What we desperately need are healing words – words that restore and rebuild – words that encourage and motivate – words of love – of mercy, grace and peace. What the world needs right now is for Christians around the world to speak words of healing into their homes, their communities and their world and for us to pray that God will bless our words with His healing power and love.
In our Scripture reading today we are given the opportunity to look in on one of the early healing stories of Jesus. A man travels to see Jesus and begs Him to come and heal his son. Any parent can understand the man’s pleading. A parent would climb mountains, walk through hot dessert sands, swim oceans and sell all they owned to access a cure for their child. Through word of mouth this man had learned that Jesus was restoring the sight of the blind, cleaning the skin of the leper and healing the sick, so he traveled to find the man of Galilee and beg Him to come and heal his child.
What is interesting here is that Jesus does not go out and heal the man’s child. Instead, Jesus offers this father words of assurance, “Go, your son will live.”
You and I have the rest of the story, but this father did not. We can only guess; was it the way Jesus said it, the look of confidence in our Lord’s

eyes, or perhaps a combination of the two? Whatever it was, the man listened, and his son was healed.
Many of the miracles Jesus performed were done quietly through spoken words. There are accounts of Jesus freeing people from evil spirits, calming storms, providing tax money, and physical healings through a spoken word.
I am a person who likes to do. If it needs to be fixed, I go and I fix it. If people are hungry, I go to my kitchen and set to work preparing food. If people are cold, I dig into my closet for coats and sweaters. When someone has taken ill and cannot get their winter wood into the basement, I roll up my sleeves and start hauling wood. This is a natural response – if something needs doing, do it!
There are many accounts of Jesus physically responding to people’s needs – restoring sight through touch – going to people in need. There are times when we need to physically respond too.
But many of Jesus’ miracles occurred through words of healing, and I believe that right now we are being called to follow our Lord’s example to use words to bring healing into our world.
Words of healing begin with truth, a truth that comes from the Word of God. We need to seek truth through God’s Word and share that truth with those around us. God’s Word calls for:
• Loving our neighbour – and who is our neighbour – EVERYONE – black, white, aboriginal, Asian, Hispanic, male, female, young, old, rich and poor. We are all God’s precious children, and we are called to love one another.
• Caring for the vulnerable – and who are the vulnerable – our seniors, our children, the hungry, the homeless, the disadvantaged, people fleeing hate and violence. We are called to care for and protect all who are vulnerable.
• Lifting one another up – we are called to lift one another up, to bring the needs of people before God and to encourage one another through life’s struggles. This pandemic has opened a door of need – people who are isolated, people who are scared.
Words of healing are words that motivate ‘you can do it,’ words that encourage ‘I will be with you,’ words that speak truth ‘God loves you,’ and words that stand firm against hatred and harm. Words of healing are words that defend and protect. They offer hope and encouragement.
As I focus on Jesus’ words in this passage, “Your son will live,” I notice how the man trusts these words and how these words and the healing they bring also motivate others to believe,
53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.

This is what we need right now, words of healing – words of healing that spread and stomp out words of hatred.

Throughout His ministry Jesus taught us how to love our neighbour, how to care for the vulnerable and how to lift one another up. He did this with both words and actions.
Right now, in our world, words of malice are spreading like wildfire and you and I are being called to put out the flames with words of healing and hope. Every word of healing you speak can heal and every healing that occurs helps others to believe in the power of God to heal and restore.
I pray you will join together faithfully in praying for the peace of Christ in our world, and I pray you will take the time to consider your calling to love your neighbour, care for the vulnerable and lift one another through words of healing. We are the people of God, called to join Christ in ministry. Let’s stand together in love and kindness speaking words of healing into a suffering world. May God bless all you say and do in His Name.
AMEN

Please pray with me: Jesus, you speak words of healing and You call us to do the same. As we serve You, Lord, we pray you will give us the right words and the strength of character to speak them. This we pray in Your wonderful Name. AMEN

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