Love in the Key to Healing
Guest writers Sally and Stave Harms
Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so.” He answered them, “You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.”—Mark 9:17-19
This recent lesson from Mark in the Daily Lectionary recounts the miraculous healing of a demon-possessed boy (Mark 9:14–29). While the passage vividly describes the boy’s dire condition, it does not specify whether the boy or his father was entitled to Jesus’s attention. Healing was not just an incidental part of Jesus’s ministry; it was one of its main features. Although the disciples had previously been involved in healing, they failed in this particular case (Mark 9:18). It’s important to note that they tried despite their lack of ability.
The boy’s father approached Jesus with a conditional request: “If you can…” Jesus responded, “What do you mean, ‘If you can’? Anything is possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23). This does not mean we automatically receive whatever we want. Instead, it highlights that nothing is beyond God’s power.
The father then offered one of the most heartfelt prayers in Scripture: “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Faith and doubt are not mutually exclusive; they exist together within us. The father brings his imperfect and trembling faith to Christ, and Christ responds. Jesus does not require perfect faith to heal the boy.
The Christian journey is marked by a continual ebb and flow between moments of victory and struggles. Illness is one of the valleys we all eventually face. Christianity is not a way to escape our imperfections; instead, it embraces and meets us in them. Prayer becomes more than just a ritual — it turns into a lifeline that sustains us.
In the Book of Exodus, after years of slavery, the Israelites cried out to God. Scripture states that God “was concerned about them” (Exodus 2:25). However, instead of offering immediate comfort, God’s response was to call upon a hesitant Moses to help deliver them from slavery. The Bible is full of examples where God provides the tools for ordinary yet imperfect people to accomplish extraordinary things. Prayer gives us the strength to keep trying despite the odds (Psalm 33, 108, 109).
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul teaches us what ultimately endures: “Faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” Love is not just an emotion; it is a transformed character. It includes patience with difficult people, kindness without expecting anything in return, and humility without seeking recognition. Love reflects God's very nature and is the tool He gives us to accomplish great things.
Health is essential to human flourishing, yet it is fragile. Throughout history, Christians have seen healthcare as an act of love in action. In the early and mid-20th century, religious groups were the main providers of hospital care in many communities, especially for immigrants and those in need. Although government involvement has grown and systems have merged, about one in five U.S. hospitals still have a religious affiliation. Still, there are significant gaps in care and chances to show love for others. Working to restore health to many has been an honor, but we found that the most meaningful actions by medical staff are often those for which they are not paid. It’s vital to find opportunities to meet individual needs beyond just medical treatment.
I remember a young woman who came in with a breast mass that turned out to be a very aggressive cancer. When I looked into her eyes, I didn’t see an immigrant who had only recently arrived in the country, lacking resources and unable to speak the language. Instead, I saw someone like my own daughter, who, instead of building her future, would be fighting for her life. The issue was the need itself, not whether she was entitled to care. The real obstacle was a system built to block her access at every turn to the care she so desperately needed. Love, hope, and the kindness of colleagues and the community united to do what seemed impossible: providing her complete treatment, including a targeted, lifesaving drug that many Western countries prohibit because of its high cost.
Healing, prayer, and love are interconnected. Jesus heals not only to restore bodies but also to reveal the heart of God. Prayer teaches us dependence, while love imbues healing with its true meaning.
In our valleys—whether they be illness, doubt, or failure—we can pray like the father in today’s readings: “I believe; help my unbelief.” And in receiving grace, we are called to extend it—through love that heals in whatever way God allows.
From Mourning Reflections from St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Saturday, March 21, 2026
Please join us in praying for our daughter, her husband, and their family. They are giving up some of the daily comforts we take for granted to share God’s healing love in Central Asia with some of the poorest and most oppressed people in the world. Please pray for their patients who are struggling following the loss of USAID funding.
Steve and Sally Harms
Joanna seibert.org