Jesus as Physician
When among my friends in the medical profession, I occasionally hear the phrase “I dressed his wounds; God healed him.” It originated with Ambroise Paré, a 16th century French surgeon who highlighted the limitations of the surgeons’ techniques, the physicians’ treatments and the apothecaries’ drugs. He rightly attributed all healing to God.
Luke, who is forever famous as the writer of the third gospel, is only slightly less famous for being a doctor. He records two sayings of Jesus in which the Lord refers to his ministry in medical terms, using the word “physician.” In the fourth chapter, Jesus challenges his detractors with these words: “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’” (Luke 4:23 NIV) and, in the fifth chapter, He said “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32 NIV)
These specific references along with the many passages which record Jesus healing people, justifies the title “the Great Physician” that is often applied to Him. During his ministry, He healed people of diseases which were incurable. Those who suffered from congenital blindness, deafness, twisted limbs, leprosy, epilepsy and the like were made whole as Jesus’ spoke or touched them. While He may have relieved much less significant ailments, there is no specific record. But all four gospels record accounts of His triumph over physical conditions which were the scourges of the day.
Jesus power over dreaded diseases was unleashed for at least two reasons. One was His compassion. Jesus felt for those who suffered the ravages of disease and deformity because He saw them as the result of sin. He had come to deal with sin and its consequences on the cross and His healing ministry in the lives of specific individuals foreshadowed the spiritual wholeness which His death and resurrection made available to the whole world.
The other reason Jesus healed people was to identify Himself as the Messiah. His fellow-Nazarenes wanted to kill Him when He applied this passage from the prophecy of Isaiah to Himself. In the synagogue, He opened the scroll to the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Every eye was on Him as He returned the scroll to the attendant, sat down and boldly stated, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (See Luke 4:16-21) Moments later the hustled Him outside to push Him off a cliff.
Recognizing Jesus as the physician gives me hope in two ways. First of all, it does provide for a measure of expectation that some of my physical ailments may be healed in supernatural ways. Secondly, and more importantly, hope rises in me because Jesus power of disease and deformity confirms Him as God’s Anointed. It reassures me that though unavoidable suffering characterizes this life, because of who He was and what He accomplished through His suffering, death and resurrection, I will one day be entirely whole. This goes far beyond just being physically well. It means that when I am in His presence, I will be as He ever intended me to be.
Ron Hughes
© December 2007
