A Healing Word

I have called you friends – John 15:15

Christ came into a world that had problems much like the ones we grapple

with today. Life was short. Disease was rampant. Nations chafed under the heel of

Roman rule. Slavery was universal. Widows, orphans, the disabled, and the

chronically ill had no social “safety net” to see them through the rough times.

To those without the joy of living, Jesus says, “I have come that they may

have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b).

To those who bore the chafing burden of the guilt of sin, He says, “Take

heart, your sins are forgiven.” (Matthew 9:2b).

And to the lonely and depressed, He says, “No longer do I call you

servants…but I have called you friends” (John 15:15). He has a healing word for

each one.

On the surface, the world has changed radically since that first Christmas.

But deep inside, our problems are the same—for they are the problems of the

heart. And Christ still comes to us to cleanse our guilt, give us hope for future,

and heal us with His love.