Imagine with me a scene if you will. St. Peter is at the Pearly Gates. The Pearly Gates are bathed in a soft golden light. Clouds drift lazily in the background. And a gentle breeze flows as St. Peter stands with his large book, looking serene and watchful. Peter looks up at a stranger. “Ah, welcome. What name do you go by?” “They call me many things…doctor, herbalist, sometimes even witch. But I usually answer to “Grace.” St. Peter nods, flipping through his book “Grace… yes, here you are. Quite the record. You brought comfort to the dying, you restored broken spirits, and tended wounds that no one else saw.” Grace replied “I only did what was needed. Not all wounds bleed. Not all pains cry out.” St. Peter replies with admiration “No, it doesn’t. And yet you found it. You mended hearts with your hands and with your silence.” “Sometimes the soul only needs to be seen.” Stepping aside, St. Peter welcomes her: “Then come in, Grace. The kingdom has room for those who offer healing.”
As you’ll recall, throughout this Eastertide we have been journeying with the early followers of Jesus through the book of Acts. These are not just stories of the past, but glimpses of how the resurrection continues to change and empower Jesus' people. Throughout our exploration, we’ve been asking: What does it mean to be Easter people?
This morning, we explore how being Easter people means being healers. We continue our reflections on Easter empowerment with a profoundly touching story: the healing of Tabitha. It is a story of grief, love, community, and resurrection—a story that doesn’t just recount a miracle but invites us into a deeper understanding of healing power. Not just as something we receive, but as something that flows through us.
Last Sunday, you may recall, we explored Saul’s encounter with the Risen Christ—a powerful moment that left him blinded, only to have something like scales fall from his eyes. Saul, now transformed into Paul, received a renewed vision and a new name, becoming a foundational leader in the church’s expansion across Asia Minor. This morning, we shift from the Easter empowerment of vision to the Easter empowerment of healing as we consider how YOU are a healer.
Shifting to the text, Tabitha was well-known for her kindness and her compassion. She was a woman of good works and charity. She clothed the widows and uplifted those in need. You likely know a few ‘Tabithas’ in your own life—those who quietly, faithfully care for others. And then in a tragic twist in the story, Tabitha dies. Her community is heartbroken. They wash her body, lay her in an upper room, and send urgently for Peter. Peter arrives, kneels, prays, and says, “Tabitha, get up.” New life comes. And she opens her eyes.
This is not only a story of resurrection—it is a story of healing. Peter restores life to Tabitha, and in doing so, he revives an entire community. What’s remarkable here is not just the miracle itself, but the way healing is transferred, embodied, and shared through the faith of Peter. And the shocking truth is this: that same healing power Peter demonstrated is offered to each one of us as Easter people. As Easter people, you have healing power.
Now that’s a lot to take in, isn’t it? Me…a healer? In our modern age, we’re understandably cautious when someone claims to be a “healer.” It can feel suspect—like the pitch of a snake-oil salesman. But scripture is clear: Jesus’ healing power did not vanish at Easter. It was passed on. To the apostles. To the early church. And, ultimately, to YOU.
So today, I want us to consider how we are empowered to heal; how we, each of us, have the gift of healing. I would like to examine a few instances of what healing looks like in our present day, reflecting on modern-day examples, and invite each of us to discern how we might channel God’s healing power entrusted unto us.
So, who are the healers today? Today is Mother’s Day—a fitting day to consider healing power. For at its best, mothering is healing. To mother is to nurture, to protect, to mend, to guide, to strengthen. Tabitha mothered her community. Her garments were stitched with compassion, her presence offered safety and care. And we see these same mothering, healing actions every day—whenever one lovingly prepares a meal for others; when one stays up with a person in distress; when one encourages a struggling friend...that IS mothering in action. That is healing in action! In mothering love, we glimpse the heart of God—and the sacred power of healing in action. Who are the healers today? The healers are those who channel God’s mothering grace!
Healing also arises in our collective work for justice and understanding. In the wake of the tragic events on Lapu Lapu Day, we have seen healing emerge through the honoring of culture and the telling of truth. Healing has meant creating space for lament—acknowledging the pain of colonization, of lost languages, of denied identities. But it has also meant celebration of resilience, and the building of bridges across communities. In these acts—story-sharing, standing in solidarity, preserving culture—we, together, become vessels of healing. We are healers!
This past week was marked by Canadian Mental Health Week—a reminder of the invisible wounds so many of us carry: anxiety, depression, burnout, isolation. The list is long. Healing in this space often looks quiet and unremarkable. Sometimes simply showing up is the offering of healing to another. Listening without judgment. Making space for pain. Offering companionship in the darkness. Choosing to be a non-anxious presence in a world filled with fear and shame. These are sacred acts of healing. And they matter deeply.
What Tabitha’s resurrection shows us is that healing power doesn't end with one person—it spreads. Her life, her love, her care was multiplied through the community she nurtured. Her resurrection brought renewed life not just to Tabitha, but to all who depended on her. And so, it continues through the millennia…it continues with us! We don’t need to be miracle-workers to bring resurrection. Every time we help someone begin again, every time we extend forgiveness, every time we encourage someone to hold onto hope—we speak resurrection. We echo the words of Peter: “Tabitha, get up.”
What if we lived as though we had the power to raise hope from the dead? What if you truly knew that your hands, your heart, your presence could mend brokenness, lift despair, bring life?
Friends, the Easter message is not just about what Christ has done—it is about what Christ is still doing through you. You are being called…You are being called to heal. You are being called to bring new life. You are being to carry the love of Christ into the broken corners of the world.
Where are you being called to heal? Where are you being called to be a healer?
Amen