The Great Physician

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

—Mark 2:17

 

I’m not feeling great this morning, and I was thinking of how Jesus is known as “The Great Physician.” He is called this for several reasons, not least of all because of the many miracles of healing He performed during His earthly ministry. The Bible tells us in John 6:2, “Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were sick.” He healed many sick people in the cities he traveled to. But Jesus wanted more than to heal their physical bodies. He wanted them to believe in Him.

 

When we read the four gospels in the Bible, we see many accounts of miraculous healings that Jesus performed. He healed people from leprosy (Luke 17:11-19), paralysis (Matthew 9:1-8), blindness (Matthew 9:27-31), deafness (Mark 7:31-37), and other illnesses. He cured many people (Luke 4:40). He even brought three dead people back to life: the son of a widow (Luke 7:11-17), the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43), and Lazarus (John 11:1-44). In John 4:48, He once said, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” All the signs and wonders Jesus performed had the purpose of proving that He was the Son of God, the promised Messiah. John 20:30-31 proclaims, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

 

A clear example of the purpose behind the miracles is His healing of a man born blind (John 9:1-41), a miracle that no one had ever heard of before (John 9:32). John 9:33 tells us that the Jews knew that “If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.” That’s why the Pharisees did everything they could to dismiss this miracle, up to the point of excommunicating the main witness (John 9:34). They knew, if they admitted that Jesus had done it, they would have to admit that He was the Messiah. So, they kept on refusing to believe the evidence because they didn’t want to believe in Jesus (John 9:39-41).

 

During His ministry, Jesus didn’t heal only people’s physical bodies. He cared for the other aspects of their ailments as well. He knew what they needed besides getting rid of their sicknesses. For example, when Jesus healed a man with leprosy in Matthew 8:1-4, He first touched him. We don’t know for how long that man had been sick. Due to the strict laws regarding skin diseases, we can assume that, for the duration of his illness, no one had ever touched him, until Jesus did. Leprosy is spread through touch, and Jesus’s touch was the first physical contact he had had in a long time. Jesus also told him to show himself to the priest and follow what the Law of Moses determined that he should do in that case. The procedure would allow him to be socially and religiously active again. After the priest confirmed his healing, he would be able to go to the Temple, to move back inside the city, and to touch and be touched. He would have his normal life back. It was not only about physical healing. Jesus took care of this man’s emotional, social, and psychological needs as well.

The Bible mentions other aspects of the mind and the heart that Jesus takes care of. For example, He takes care of our anxiety. First Peter 5:7 says, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”  He gives us peace (John 14:27), rest (Matthew 11:28), and joy (John 15:11). He gives purpose to our lives (Philippians 1:21) and makes us part of His family (John 1:12). Every good thing that we have and everything we need comes from the Father through Him (James 1:17). Jesus also gives us the respect we deserve in this life. No one can take away our faith because they say LGBTQ+ people are unworthy. He gives us the love so many of us need in this life. He wants us to be part of his family, and it is through Christ’s teachings that we can make the world a better place.

Jesus never promised to heal every sickness we have in this life. We will inevitably experience suffering (John 16:33), but Jesus wants us to be healed and saved. That’s why He died and was resurrected. The Bible tells us that, one day, we will meet with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:17). He will give us an immortal body (1 Corinthians 15:54). There will be no more sickness, no more pain. We will be free from all suffering (Revelation 21:4). And we will enjoy eternity in His glorious presence.