Dear Christian friends:

Here we see Jesus heal a sick man. And we think of that poor man, and we are so happy that he got well. Many people ask, "Why can't you heal us? Jesus did." Yesterday a lady asked me to heal her. If I could heal the sick our church would be full ever Sunday. We couldn't build a church large enough. The whole world flow to see me and ask me to pray for it. So we ask, "Why did Jesus heal the sick?" Why can't his ministers today heal the sick?

Often people think that Jesus healed the sick because He felt sorry for them and loved them and wanted to make them happy. True, Jesus felt sorry for the many sick and yes, Jesus loved the sick, but that is not the chief reason why He healed them. His chief reason was to give the people a "sign", a proof that He was the Son of God, the promised Savior of the world.

He was the son of Mary of Nazareth. He had a body, face and hair like anyone else. He was a real human being. But He was also the everlasting, almighty Son of God. How could He prove that to the people? By His miracles. Jesus not only healed the sick, but He did many other wonderful works that no human can do.

He changed water to wine, at the wedding; He multiplied the two fish and five loaves of bread and feed more than five-thousand people with that; He walked on the water to His disciples in a boat and at another time He was asleep in a boat with His disciples. When a storm came up and threatened the ship to sink, He arose and commanded the wind to be still.

All these wonderful works Jesus did to prove that He is the Son of God. And the Holy Spirit has printed them in the Bible for all ages to read and see and believe. None of these miracles need to be repeated. They were done once and for all by Jesus. They are all clearly printed in our Bibles as a sign and proof for us who live today.

There is no need for us to do those miracles today also healing the sick. God has given us skilled doctors and wonderful medicines to give some short-time comfort and hope to the sick. Even those whom Jesus healed were helped and comforted for a short time. Later on they grew old and got sick again and died.

But we are so foolish because we are so eager and crazy for healing and many flock to false preachers, "healers" like Oral Roberts and we always fight hard to postpone death. We think that's the most important.

But preaching the Gospel is the most important. What I offer here each Sunday when I preach Jesus crucified is much, much more precious. I offer you Jesus the Son of God in whom you have forgiveness of sins, resurrection from death and everlasting life and health with God in heaven.

That's the second reason why Jesus healed the sick. He wanted men to believe in Him for forgiveness of sins. Sin is the root of all our troubles and problems as we see very clearly for our text. After Jesus healed the sick man He disappeared while the Jews questioned the healed man: "Why did you carry your bed on the rest day and break our rest day laws? Who told you? Who healed you?"

Later Jesus found him in the temple and said: "Look you are well now. Don't sin anymore, or something worse may happen to you." This man was sick thirty-eight years because of his past sins. Sin is the root, the reason, and the cause of all our troubles and sicknesses in life. It does no lasting good to heal a sick man if you do not lead him to Jesus for sin-forgiveness.

You know if you have a baby Elm tree spring up by your house, if you only cut off the top that it will sprout a new stem. No matter how many times you cut off the stems and branches that elm will grow again. If you wish to be free of that Elm tree you must dig deep and destroy the roots.

It is the same with sicknesses and other troubles of life. It does not do much good to heal a man's sickness if you do not bring him forgiveness of sins and every lasting life. Jesus came to destroy sin, the cause of all our troubles and problems.

What Jesus offers you in church on Sunday and when you read your Bibles or go to the Lord's Supper or baptism is much, much more precious than what any doctor or Oral Roberts can offer. By the Gospel Jesus destroys the root of all evil, sin.

Amen.