S&F-Waiting for Healing

 

Today is the Feast of James the Lesser, and he is my inspiration for this post.

In my year with cancer, I have prayed harder and tried to become closer to Jesus and the Church.  I have read the Bible and know of numerous cases where Jesus cured the sick and even raised people from the dead.  Even after he rose to Heaven Jesus, through his followers, continued to heal the sick and lame.  There are stories of miraculous healings to this day from all sorts of ailments.

So why does Jesus, not heal me?  I'm a good guy.  At least I think I am.

Over the last several years I have become engrossed in the series "The Chosen."  It is the story of the life of Jesus and his Apostles during Jesus's ministry and eventually his death.  Admittingly, this is not a retelling of the Gospels, for the sake of the story they have taken some liberties by adding some characters backstories.  They don't refute the Gospel itself, but some of these stories are not in the Bible.  I make an effort to figure out which stories are Biblically accurate and which ones are Hollywood stories.  I do believe that the stories they add do meet the spirit of what Jesus would have done, so I'm ok with those fictional liberties.

One of the people who I really like in the show is the character of James the Lesser (played by Jordan Walker Ross).  He was one of Jesus's original 12 Apostles.  The bible doesn't say much about him other then he was called "The Lesser" to differentiate him from James, the brother of John.  The Chosen made him have a limp (mostly because the actor playing him is disabled).

In one of the season 3 episodes James askes Jesus why he heals everyone but allows him to suffer with his limp.  Jesus (Johnathan Roumie) tells him that he is seen and appreciated by God as he is.  Jesus tells him that having his disability can actually magnify God's goodness in the world's eyes.  It shows God is good even when he doesn't heal us.

Biblically little is known about the life of James.  Tradition tells us he was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, and was the author of the Epistle of James.  He was at the Council of Jerusalem about conversion of Gentiles.  As a witness to the Resurrection he is a pillar of the Church that Paul consulted about the Gospel.  AS Bishop of Jerusalem he was revered for his deep faith and prayer.  He was so respected that his followers took to calling him James the Just.  For fear of his influence he was thrown from the Pinnacle of the temple after refusing to deny Christ.  He miraculously survived only to be stoned and clubbed to death.

I, like James in the show, wish for healing every day.  But I understand that God has a purpose for me and maybe that doesn't include healing.  Maybe it is by my suffering that I can better get his better out.  I don't think my future includes stoning, but I can use him as an example of embracing what Jesus has in store for me.

Little James-pray for me.