The Hidden Healer Who Was There All Along
In Tobit's suffering and Tobias's journey, the One who brings comfort was present all along—even when unseen.
Raph′ael’s Wages Tobit then called his son Tobi′as and said to him, “My son, see to the wages of the man who went with you; and he must also be given more.” He replied, “Father, it would do me no harm to give him half of what I have brought back. For he has led me back to you safely, he cured my wife, he obtained the money for me, and he also healed you.” The old man said, “He deserves it.” So he called the angel and said to him, “Take half of all that you two have brought back.” Raph′ael’s Exhortation Then the angel called the two of them privately and said to them: “Praise God and give thanks to him; exalt him and give thanks to him in the presence of all the living for what he has done for you. It is good to praise God and to exalt his name, worthily declaring the works of God. Do not be slow to give him thanks. It is good to guard the secret of a king, but gloriously to reveal the works of God. Do good, and evil will not overtake you. Prayer is good when accompanied by fasting, almsgiving, and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with wrongdoing. It is better to give alms than to treasure up gold. For almsgiving delivers from death, and it will purge away every sin. Those who perform deeds of charity and of righteousness will have fulness of life; but those who commit sin are the enemies of their own lives. Raph′ael Discloses His Identity “I will not conceal anything from you. I have said, ‘It is good to guard the secret of a king, but gloriously to reveal the works of God.’ And so, when you and your daughter-in-law Sarah prayed, I brought a reminder of your prayer before the Holy One; and when you buried the dead, I was likewise present with you. When you did not hesitate to rise and leave your dinner in order to go and lay out the dead, your good deed was not hidden from me, but I was with you. So now God sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah. I am Raph′ael, one of the seven holy angels who present the prayers of the saints and enter into the presence of the glory of the Holy One.” They were both alarmed; and they fell upon their faces, for they were afraid. But he said to them, “Do not be afraid; you will be safe. But praise God for ever. For I did not come as a favor on my part, but by the will of our God. Therefore praise him for ever. All these days I merely appeared to you and did not eat or drink, but you were seeing a vision. And now give thanks to God, for I am ascending to him who sent me. Write in a book everything that has happened.” Then they stood up; but they saw him no more. So they confessed the great and wonderful works of God, and acknowledged that the angel of the Lord had appeared to them.
Tobit 12:12-15 records Raphael disclosing his identity: he stood in the presence of the Holy One when Tobit and Sarah prayed, and he was present when Tobit left his meal to bury the dead. The comfort God sends is not an afterthought; it is woven into the very hours of grief.