There are many people in this world who are hurting. There are diseases, health problems, and disabilities that are beyond the power of medicine or lifestyle to heal. People everywhere are asking, “Why?” Why diseases and illness; why accidents and disasters; why pain and suffering? Who is responsible? And is there any hope for those who are hurting?

Lucifer's Disobedience: The Origin of Pain

God is love. Before evil existed, there was peace and joy throughout the universe. Lucifer, “the light bearer,” the attendant of God’s throne, by transgression became Satan, the adversary of God.

Before his fall, Lucifer was an angel of God, holy and undefiled. Not content with his position, he wanted to be worshiped as God was. Under an appearance of reverence for God, he tried to excite dissatisfaction for the laws that governed heavenly beings.

When Lucifer was proved to be without cause, his pride forbade him to submit. He fully committed himself in the great controversy against his Maker. He claimed that it was his job to improve the laws of God. God permitted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims, to show the working out of his proposed changes in the divine law.

After the earth had been called into existence, humankind, the crowning work of the Creator was brought upon the stage of action. Though created innocent and holy, our first parents were not placed beyond the possibility of wrongdoing. God gave them the power of choice—the power to yield or to withhold obedience. Adam and Eve were permitted to eat of all the trees in their Eden home, except one:

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it (Genesis 2:16-17).

While God was seeking humanity’s good, Satan was seeking its ruin. He began his work with Eve, to cause her to disobey. She took the fruit, and ate it. Adam, through his love for Eve, disobeyed the command of God, and fell with her.

“Your eyes shall be opened,” the enemy said; “ye shall be as gods, knowing god and evil” (Genesis 3:5). Their eyes were indeed opened; but how sad the opening! The knowledge of evil, the curse of sin, was all that the transgressors gained.

Satan is the originator of disease; He loves to see the human family plunging themselves deeper and deeper into suffering and misery.

Christ's Love

When Jesus Christ came to this world He took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses, that He might minister to every need of humanity (Matthew 8:17). He came to remove the burden of disease, wretchedness, and sin. It was His mission to bring to His people complete restoration; He came to give them health and peace and perfection of character.

None who came to Him went away unhelped. From Him flowed a stream of healing power, and in body and mind and soul people were made whole. In every city, every town, every village, through which He passed, He laid His hands upon the afflicted ones and healed them. Wherever there were hearts ready to receive His message, He comforted them with the assurance of their heavenly Father’s love.

His compassion knew no limit. Christ recognized no distinction of nationality or rank or creed. His gift of mercy and love is as unconfined as the air. Wherever He went, the tidings of His mercy preceded Him. Where He had passed, the objects of His compassion were rejoicing in health and using their new-found powers. His voice was the first sound that many had ever heard, His name the first word they had ever spoken, His face the first they had ever looked upon. Why should they not love Jesus and sound His praise? As He passed through the towns and cities He was like a vital current, bringing life and joy.

The Bleeding Woman

“If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole” (Matthew 9:21). It was a poor woman who spoke these words—a woman who for 12 years suffered from a disease that made her life a burden. She had spent all her means upon physicians and remedies, only to be pronounced incurable. But when she heard of the Great Healer, her hopes were revived.

Jesus came near to where the afflicted woman was standing. Again and again she had tried in vain to get near Him amid the crowd. Fearful of losing her one chance for relief, she pressed forward, saying to herself, “If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.”

As Christ was passing, she reached forward and succeeded in barely touching the border of His garment. That moment she knew that she was healed. In that one touch was concentrated the faith of her life, and instantly her pain and feebleness disappeared.

Suddenly Jesus stopped, and looking around He asked, “Who touched Me?”

Christ did not ask the question for His own information. He wished to inspire the afflicted with hope. He wished to show that it was faith which had brought the healing power.

The Paralytic Man

Many of those who came to Christ for help had brought disease upon themselves, yet He did not refuse to heal them. Among these was a paralytic at Capernaum. This paralytic had lost all hope of recovery. His disease was the result of a sinful life, and his sufferings were embittered by remorse. In vain he had appealed to the Pharisees and doctors for relief; they pronounced him incurable, they denounced him as a sinner and declared that he would die under the wrath of God.

The palsied man had sunk into despair. Then he heard of the works of Jesus. Others, as sinful and helpless as he, had been healed, and he was encouraged to believe that he, too, might be cured if he could be carried to the Saviour.

His great desire was relief from the burden of sin. He longed to see Jesus and receive the assurance of forgiveness and peace with heaven. Then he would be content to live or to die, according to God’s will.

Again and again the paralytic's aids tried to push their way through the crowd, but in vain. At his suggestion his friends took him to the top of the house and, breaking up the roof, let him down at the feet of Jesus.

Jesus had watched the first glimmer of faith grow into a conviction that He was the sinner’s only helper, and had seen it grow stronger with every effort to come into His presence. It was Christ who had drawn the sufferer to Himself. Now, in words that fell like music on the listener’s ear, the Saviour said. “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:2).

Hope takes the place of despair, and joy of oppressive gloom. The man’s physical pain was gone, and his whole being was transformed. Making no further request, he lay in peaceful silence, too happy for words.

But the Pharisees, fearful of losing their influence with the multitude, said in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone” (Mark 2:7, NKJV)?

Fixing His glance upon them, beneath which they cowered and drew back, this is how Jesus responded:

But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house” (Matthew 9:4-6 NKJV).

Then the once-paralyzed man rose to his feet with the elasticity and strength of youth.

The paralytic found in Christ healing for both the soul and the body. He needed health of soul before he could appreciate health of the body. Before the physical malady could be healed, Christ must bring relief to the mind, and cleanse the soul from sin.

This article is adapted from the works of Ellen White.