Parry Stelter enjoys time with his daughters.
“Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53: 4-6, NIV).
In order for us to be healed from any forms of suffering and pain within our hearts, we must first understand what the prophet Isaiah said in this passage.
Isaiah prophesied about the coming of the Messiah (Jesus Christ), and when we read his description of Jesus Christ it should stop us in our tracks. Not only stop us in our tracks, but it should penetrate our hearts. Our hearts that become hardened by the things of this world. Our hearts that can be so easily filled with jealousy, anger, rage, frustration, envy, and pride.
The secret to healing our hearts is directly linked with embracing the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ who was prophesied some 700 years before He was born. This same Jesus took on our infirmities. That means your weaknesses and my shortcomings. The infirmities of all enemies that you can think of. In other words, Jesus became sin, so that you and I, and all your family could be healed.
What kind of healing is that? Well, it’s the type of healing that we receive by being re-united with God through Jesus Christ.
When sin entered the world through Adam, we all suffered the consequences by being born with a sinful nature (Genesis 3). Now, because of what Jesus has done through dying on the cross, we can all be healed from sin. This type of healing covers all the broken hearts that will ever be broken.
If I were to sit down and have a cup of tea and a piece of bannock with you, I know you could tell me some really great stories. All of those stories would be very interesting. Maybe there would be some stories of hunting and fishing. Maybe some stories of growing up on the reserve. Yet, the most important story you could tell me would be how your heart has been broken by other people in this world, and how that makes you feel.
This world is a cruel and evil place, but it can also be a happy and joyful place. The world Jesus grew up in wasn’t any different. In Matthew 2, Mary and Joseph are seen escaping to Egypt, because King Herod tried to kill the baby Jesus, and when he failed he had all the boys two years old and younger killed. Think of all the heartache, pain, and suffering that all those parents went through. It must have felt like someone had crushed their spirit. They probably woke up in the middle of the night crying and weeping uncontrollably. All those dreams were crushed. All those dreams of having the boy carry on the family name and bloodline were gone.
Have you ever had a dream like that crushed? Have you ever had your entire world pulled out from under you like a rug? Have you ever had a dream snuffed out like the flickering flame of a candle? Have you ever experienced a “dark night of the soul”? I have, and I know many of you have.
Jesus also knows what it’s like to endure such suffering. He took on all our weaknesses and sorrows and became sin for us, so that we could be free. Free to be who God intended us to be.
Why not start the year 2013 off with a bang and embrace this comfort and freedom that will set your heart free? If you have already accepted Christ, but are still experiencing this suffering, then hold Jesus a little tighter.
Tell Him that you need the healing and tell someone else the same thing. Confide in a Christian counselor and start the journey of healing by telling your story. Find someone that you can trust and someone you know will listen. Share with them your hurts. It’s not easy, but the more we talk about our problems, the easier it gets.
When we talk and tell our stories it turns from darkness into light. “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 NIV).
Follow Jesus, as described in the Bible, and find that light.
—Parry Stelter is orginally from Alexander First Nation with his wife Angeline and their two daughters. They live in Edmonton, AB.
