It was a beautiful, sunny lunch-time as I walked into the High Street.  For the first time I could feel real warmth in the sunshine – Spring really is here!

It wasn’t long before I came upon some of Father’s special treasures who don’t have homes to live in, just tents, doorways or car parks.  It is an undeniable honour to sit and share time with these, the lowest and least of our society, who often have sad, complex, broken stories behind their lives.  To pray with them is a real privilege.  Holy moments.

At one point, I was sitting and listening to a young lady “Sam” talk about her love of reading and how things were going with her grown-up daughters who had recently reconnected after years of separation.  Whilst chatting, another one of her homeless friends, “Terry”, came along and stopped his bicycle where we were sitting.  He was hunched over and groaning about the pain he was in, saying he was in agony.  I asked him where the pain was, and he indicated his lower back.  

I immediately went over and prayed over this area of his back, commanding all the pain to leave and all things to be realigned and restored.  I checked in with him how the pain was, and he said it was still bad.  As I prayed and checked again, nothing was budging and he said half-jokingly “It’s my own fault, really”.  Then came a (colourful!) description of a drug-fuelled altercation Terry had recently been in with the police, where he had been arm-locked and slammed to the ground.  His back was hurt in the process.

I explained to Terry that Jesus had paid for every fault and mistake he had ever made, that Jesus does not withhold help and healing from anyone who is willing to receive it.  We can never deserve it. It is purely a gift. There was a split second where I could feel Terry was barely able to believe this could be true - but wanting to.  As I prayed again, Terry admitted “Yeh, that does feel better!”.  This seemed to both please and unsettle him but, as he got ready to leave, I watched him walk alongside his bike, upright and moving well now.  “Jesus did that for you, Terry!” I called after him.  “All because He loves you”.  And off he went.

As I thought over this brief healing encounter, it struck me that the healing had been “stuck”  until I had assured Terry that he didn’t have to deserve his healing. Even though Terry had flipped out on drugs and got in trouble with the police, Jesus was not “counting his sins against him” as these were already paid for on the cross.  Terry was perfectly free to receive the healing that Jesus had freely paid for and made available to all.  Even if he didn’t understand it or show much thanks for it afterwards. 

My mind went to Malchus, the soldier in the Garden of Gethsemane, sent by the Chief Priest to arrest Jesus illegitimately. (John 18: 10/11) Peter, one of Jesus’ own followers, had angrily slashed Malchus’ ear off with his sword– for which Jesus sternly rebuked him. Jesus then completely healed the ear of the very one coming to lead Him away in chains to a false trial and certain death sentence.  Unfathomable Grace.

It’s scarily easy to put up barriers of disqualification towards certain people – or even ourselves - as to why they or we don’t deserve healing. Maybe you are in that position now and feel you “only have yourself to blame” for some pain, sickness or weakness you are experiencing.  Will you take Terry’s experience as an illustration of the truth that your healing has already been fully paid for and made available as a gift that can never be deserved or disqualified by our own efforts, good or bad?  

What an amazing Saviour this Jesus is.  So full of grace and healing compassion.  For the least to the greatest and everyone in between!