The Great Physician

"And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Matthew 9: 11-13)

"And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague." (Mark 5: 25-29)

Jesus not only heals of all bodily sickness, but he heals the soul of spiritual sickness. The above verses affirm that sin is a disease and that Jesus is the Physician to deal with it.

Christians are they who have placed faith in Dr. Jesus, having become a patient under his care. His very name means savior or healer - Jesus or Yeshuah. He has never lost a patient under his care! That is why he is the Great Physician. He heals the soul of sin and depravity, the cause of all the various symptoms that sinners experience, such as bodily sicknesses and death, and of mental depression and sorrow of heart, and endless woes.

Sadly, like the woman in the story above, most sinners spend all they have going to spiritual quack doctors who cannot help them in the least. They end up not only financially ruined, but they grow worse in their illness.

Sinners try all kinds of fake remedies and seek many "physicians of no value." (Job 13: 4) They are like Asa, of whom it was said:

"And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians." (II Chronicles 16: 12)

Is it wrong to go to an earthly physician for physical and mental illness? Of course not. But, it is wrong to go to these earthly physicians first and foremost. If we go to them without first going to the Lord, we do not act wisely. Besides, these earthly physicians can only help with the symptoms, but cannot heal the root problem. Also, they only deal with physical ills, not with man's inner spiritually diseased self, as does Dr. Jesus.

It was a very sad time in Israel's history when she forsook the Lord, her great Physician, to seek healing remedy elsewhere. Notice these verses:

"Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?" (Jeremiah 8: 22)

"There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines." (Jeremiah 30: 13)

"Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured." (Jeremiah 46: 11)

"Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble!" (Jeremiah 14: 19)

The reason that there was no healing is because they had forsaken the care of their Great Physician and sought out "physicians of no value." They were putting faith in quack cures and fake remedies, in "medicines" that do not heal. The Lord gave them a true prescription for healing in II Chronicles 7: 14. They had rejected his prescription in favor of others. They simply were mis-diagnosed and chose a physician of no value.

But, the Lord has put out his call to all who are sick to come to him and put their faith in him as a Physician of the greatest value.

"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." (Malachi 4: 2)

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." (Proverbs 17: 22)

"Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." (Proverbs 3: 7, 8)

"There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health." (Proverbs 12: 8)

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." (Proverbs 16: 24)

To listen, as a patient, to the words of our Great Physician, is what is needed. His words and his tongue bring everlasting health to a person. He will be in better health, both physically and spiritually. Of course, it is in our glorified and eternal state, after the ressurrection of our dead bodies, that we will enjoy perfect health, in body, soul, and spirit, forever.

Friend, are you sick in body, mind, and spirit? Do you see sin as the chief of your diseases? Then I urge you to reject all the false physicians of no value and put your case in the hands of Jesus, the great surgeon and physician. He can cure you of what ails you. You will be safe in his care, as his patient. Will you put your case in his hands today?

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3 John 1: 2)