Jesus cares for us both spiritually and physically

by Phoebe

“… He welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.” Luke 9:11 (ESV)

During a church service in Takhro at the beginning of this year, Auntie Jaew, one of the believers, shared that someone died in front of her house after being involved in a traffic accident. After the accident, there are blood stains on the road in front of her house and every time she sees that spot, her fear of death is being triggered. She is reminded of her childhood when she had to sleep in the dark near the mortuary in the village temple. Even after accepting Christ, Auntie Jaew is spiritually disturbed and could not fall asleep at night after the accident.

After the church service when we all gathered for lunch, Auntie Dtaan, a new believer starting breaking out in cold sweat – large beads of sweat were rolling down her face even when it was cool season, so it must not be due to the heat. She had a busy morning before arriving for service and did not have time to have breakfast. Her diabetes caused her to be weak and faint.

Jon and I decided to visit both of them at their homes. While Auntie Jaew is a strong believer, we had to remind her that spirits do not have any power over her as God has overcome and has dominion over the world. After praying with her and declaring God’s presence in her home, I could see that the worry in Auntie Jaew’s face lifted, replaced with peace and joy. Auntie Jaew had received spiritual healing.

Auntie Dtaan was resting at home when we arrived. We handed her some electrolyte powder and prayed with her. We thank God her physical condition did not worsen and she is feeling better. Auntie Dtaan had received physical healing.

Visiting both Auntie Jaew and Auntie Dtaan reminds me that the gospel is a holistic one which addresses both spiritual and physical needs. In the familiar account of Jesus feeding the 5,000 in Luke 9, while Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God to the crowds, He was also concerned about their physical condition. We all know that Jesus fed the crowds when they were hungry. A new detail that I just noticed is that He also cured those who had need of healing (v. 11)! The crowds left satisfied (v. 17), I believe both in their spirits and their bodies. As we follow Jesus, He not only addresses our spiritual needs, He also cares about our physical needs. We can trust that He cares for all aspects of our lives.

Are any of you feeling the burdens of life? May you look to Jesus to satisfy your needs for He is the One who has compassion for His flock and is always ready to care for us both spiritually and physically.