Question 313
© Libreria Editrice Vaticana Source: vatican.va
How was sickness viewed in the Old Testament?
Answer
In the Old Testament sickness was experienced as a sign of weakness and at the same time perceived as mysteriously bound up with sin. The prophets intuited that sickness could also have a redemptive value for one’s own sins and those of others. Thus sickness was lived out in the presence of God from whom people implored healing.