A few of the lessons which Jesus would teach us by sickness

J.C. Ryle, "Christ in the Sick Room"

(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Hebrews 12:10-11, "God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it."

God sends sickness in order to do us good.
Affliction is a friendly letter from Heaven.
It is a knock at the door of conscience.
It is the voice of the Savior knocking at our heart's door.
Happy is he . . .
  who opens the letter and reads it,
    who hears the knock and opens the door,
      who welcomes Jesus to his sick room.

Come now, and let me show you a few of the lessons which Jesus would teach us by sickness:

1. Sickness is meant to make us think--to remind us that we have a soul as well as a body; an immortal soul--a soul that will live forever in happiness or in misery--and that if our soul is not saved, then it would have been better for us to never have been born!

2. Sickness is meant to teach us that there is a world beyond the grave; and that the world we now live in, is only a training-place for our eternal dwelling; where there will be no decay, no sorrow, no tears, no misery, and no sin.

3. Sickness is meant to make us look at our past lives honestly, fairly and conscientiously.
  Am I ready for my great change, just as I now am?
    Do I truly repent of my sins?
      Are my sins forgiven and washed away in sin-atoning blood of Jesus?
        Am I prepared to meet the thrice holy God?

4. Sickness is meant to make us see the emptiness of this world, and its utter inability to satisfy the highest and deepest needs of our souls.

5. Sickness is meant to send us to God's Word--that blessed Book, which in the days of health is too often left on the shelf, and is rarely ever opened. But sickness often brings it down from the shelf, and throws new light on its pages.

6. Sickness is meant to make us pray. Too many, I fear, never pray at all--or they only rattle over a few hurried words morning and evening without thinking. But prayer often becomes a reality, when the valley of the shadow of death is in sight!

7. Sickness is meant to make us forsake our sins. If we will not hear the voice of God's mercies, then He sometimes makes us hear His rod of affliction.

8. Sickness is meant to draw us to Jesus. Naturally we do not see the full value of the blessed Savior. We secretly imagine that our prayers, good deeds, and sacrament-receiving will save our souls. But when flesh begins to fail--then the absolute necessity of a Redeemer, a Mediator, and an Advocate with the Father--stands out before our eyes like fire, and makes us understand those words, "Simply to Your cross I cling!" as we never did before. Sickness has done this for many--they have found Jesus in the sick room!

9. Last, but not least, sickness is meant to make us sympathetic towards others. By nature, we are all far below our blessed Master's example--who had not only a hand to help all, but also a heart to sympathize with all. None, I suspect, are so unable to sympathize--as those who have never had trouble themselves. And none are so able to sympathize, as those who have drunk the cup of pain and sorrow most deeply.


If you care to read it, here is Ryle's superb and longer article, "Sickness".