Pain and Suffering
It’s human nature to not want any sickness, pain and suffering of any kind in our lives. Yet, we all experience it.
There are some who believe that the Christian should not suffer illness. The scripture that is often used to make their case is – “But he was wounded (pierced) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
This is an obvious prophetic reference to the Lord Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of Himself for our sins.
Taking a careful look at that scripture, “healed” does not refer to what is physical, but spiritual.
Before we were saved, our spirits were “broken,” not allowing for fellowship with God. The Lord Jesus has made them “whole” because of what He went through at Calvary as our Substitute. This is the spiritual healing of our spirit, not the physical healing of our body. We have peace with God which resulted from the punishment that was placed on Him. That allows us to communicate and have fellowship with Divine Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Think of Timothy for a moment. There was a time when he was having stomach and other health issues. Paul, the apostle, told him, “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” (1 Timothy 5:23)
Paul was suggesting to Timothy to drink a little wine, in addition to water, for his stomach and frequent illnesses he had been having.
If anyone should have been exempt from illness, one would think Paul would. Consider that he was in prison often, was flogged and was close to death a number of times – “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. (2 Corinthians 11:24-27; NIV)
Yet, despite all of the hardships and sufferings that Paul went through, he was given a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). He pleaded with the Lord three times to have it removed, but, as far as we know, it never was. “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Another point to consider – the verse in Isaiah 53 says we are healed. That is past tense. So, future sickness or illness does not apply. Again, this indicates that the verse refers to what is spiritual, that is, our soul has been made whole by what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us at Calvary. This spiritual healing is a one-time event and happened the moment we received Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
Whenever we suffer in a physical way, we have a source of help and strength – the Lord Himself and His grace – allowing us to deal with it, as Paul did. It is God’s choosing as to whether we are physically healed or not.
The thought of the Lord Jesus being wounded for our transgressions, as we read in Isaiah 53, so that we could be healed spiritually and be made “whole,” reminds us of that hymn –
He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions
He was wounded for our transgressions
He bore our sins in His body on the tree
For our guilt He gave us peace
From our bondage gave release
And with His stripes and with His stripes
And with His stripes our souls are healed
He was numbered among transgressors
We did esteem Him forsaken by His God
As our sacrifice He died
That the law be satisfied
All our sin and all our sin
And all our sin was laid on Him
We had wandered we all had wandered
Far from the fold of the Shepherd of the sheep
But He sought us where we were
On the mountain bleak and bare
And brought us home and brought us home
And brought us safely home to God
Who can number His generation
Who shall declare
All the triumphs of His cross
Millions dead now live again
Myriads follow in His train
Victorious Lord victorious Lord
Victorious Lord and coming King
He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions by Thomas O. Chisholm; Merrill Dunlop.
© 1941, renewed 1969, Singspiration Music/ASCAP.