Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?
by Elder Timothy J. Dyches
This last week (month really) sickness has run through our household. We've had strep throat, the stomach flu, and a few other unnameable yet yucky viruses. Our prayers this week (month) have been full of pleadings to be made well (or whole) again.
Elder Dyches begins his talk by sharing two of my favorite examples of Christ healing the sick.
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The first, Christ healing the impotent (someone who is powerless) man (John 5).
In this painting by Carl Bloch we see Jesus lifting "the edge of the cloth with one hand, and He beckons with the other and asks. . . "Wilt thou be made whole?" After, the man explains his situation to Jesus. He has no one to help him into the pool and therefore, someone always gets there before him. "To the man's seemingly impossible challenge, Jesus provides a profound and unexpected answer: "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked."
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The Second is the story of the Ten Lepers (Luke 17).
While traveling to Jerusalem, [the Savior] met 10 lepers. . .They were outcasts-- unclean and unwanted." The lepers cried out to Jesus asking "Isn't there something You can do for us?" "The Great Physician, full of compassion, still knew that faith must precede the miracle and therefore told them, "Go shew yourselves unto the priests." "As they went in faith, the miracle occurred."
Throughout life, there are many times when we have need to be healed, when we desire to be made whole again. Maybe we're sick (like my family), maybe we're suffering from depression, maybe we've made some wrong choices and need to be made whole through repentance. Maybe someone has made some life choices that have deeply affected us and caused us deep heartache.
"Jesus Christ heals body mind, and spirit, and His healing begins with faith."
"The Savior counsels us on how to be made whole -- to be complete or become healed:"
- Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest . . .(Matthew 11:28-30)
- "Come, follow me" (Luke 18:22)"Leave behind the old life and worldly desires and become a new creature. . . "
- Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (D&C 88:63)
"We are healed by abandoning the habits and lifestyles that harden hearts and stiffen necks. When we lay down "the weapons of [our] rebellion" (Alma 23:7) we become "agents unto [ourselves] (D&C 58:28), no longer blinded by the sophistry of Satan or deafened by the discordant noise of the secular world. As we repent and become converted to the Lord, we become whole. . ."
One of my favorite quotes is mentioned in this talk. Elder Dyches says,
"If you feel unclean, unloved, unhappy, unworthy, or unwhole, remember (here comes my favorite quote) 'all that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ'."
For me, sometimes I get so frustrated and often times sad at life, people and situations I have no control over. It all seems so unfair. What a beautiful promise that "all that [I think] is unfair about [my] life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ", if I will just let it.
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"Be assured the Savior still seeks to mend our souls and heal our hearts. He waits at the door and knocks. Let us answer by beginning again to pray, repent, forgive, and forget. Let us love God and serve our neighbor and stand in holy places with a life made clean."
"Wilt thou be made whole?"
Rise and Walk, His 'grace is sufficient' (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Next Week's Talks:
Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela
AND
Elder M. Russell Ballard