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Why are we sick?

One can be sick because of the following reasons:

1) Because of our sin:

Matt.9:1-9 - Jesus got into a boat and went back across the lake to His own town. Some people brought to Jesus a man who was paralyzed and lying on a mat [cot; bed]. When Jesus saw the faith of these people [their faith], He said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged [Have courage; Take heart], young man [son; child]. Your sins are forgiven.”

Some of the teachers of the law [scribes] said to themselves, “This man speaks as if he were God. That is blasphemy!”

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why are you thinking evil thoughts [in your hearts]? [For] Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to tell him, ‘Stand up and walk’? But I will prove to you [so that you may know] that the Son of Man [a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Stand up, take [pick up] your mat [cot; bed], and go home.” And the man stood up and went home.

When the people [crowds] saw this, they were amazed [filled with awe; afraid] and praised [glorified] God for giving power like this [such authority] to human beings [mankind; the language echoes the Son of Man title just used by Jesus (v. 6), which the crowds misunderstand to mean simply “a human being”].


2) Because of God's work:

John 9:1-7 - As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man who had been born blind. His followers [disciples] asked Him, “Teacher [Rabbi], whose sin caused this man to be born blind - his own sin or his parents’ sin?” [The disciples, like the friends of Job, viewed suffering as the result of a person’s own sins.]

Jesus answered, “It is not this man’s sin or his parents’ sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God’s power [works] could be shown [displayed; revealed; manifest] in him. While it is daytime, we must continue doing the work of the One who sent me. Night is coming [Jesus’ death], when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world [John 8:12].”

After Jesus said this, He spit on the ground and made some mud with it [the saliva] and put [spread; anointed] the mud on the man’s eyes [the significance of the mud made with spit is unclear]. Then He told the man, “Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.” (Siloam [from a Hebrew word] means Sent.) So the man went, washed, and came back seeing.


3) Because of our unworthiness:

1 Cor.11:28-31 - Look into your own hearts [Let a person examine himself] before you eat the bread and drink the cup, because all who eat the bread and drink the cup without recognizing [discerning; careful regard for] the body eat and drink judgment against themselves.

That is why many in your group are sick and weak, and some [a number] of you have died [fallen asleep; a euphemism for death]. But if we judged ourselves in the right way [evaluated/examined ourselves], God would not judge us [we would not be judged/punished].


4) Because His Grace is sufficient:

2 Cor.12:7-10 - So that I would not become too proud of the wonderful things that were shown to me [or because of these extraordinary revelations; this phrase may be part of the previous sentence], a painful physical problem [thorn in the flesh] was given to me.

This problem was a messenger from Satan, sent to beat [torment; harass; trouble] me and keep me from being too proud. I begged [pleaded with] the Lord three times to take this problem away from [that it might leave] me.

But He said to me, “My grace is enough for you [sufficient for you; all you need]. When you are weak, My power is made perfect in you [For (my) power is perfected in weakness].”

So I am very happy to brag [boast] about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live [reside; or rest] in me. For this reason I am happy [pleased; content] when I have weaknesses, insults, hard times [times of need], sufferings [persecutions], and all kinds of troubles [distress] for [for the sake of] Christ. Because when I am weak, then I am truly strong.

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