Christ, The Great Physician

It is no secret that there are many possibilities for sickness and/or illness in this county especially when the weather is so sporadic as it is here in Tennessee but there are more ways than ever to make yourself sick and while I do not visit the doctor as often as I should, Christians should not be afraid to visit the doctor’s office.

Usually, this is not a topic that I often give much thought to but there is a real movement among different groups such as Christian Scientists who claim that going to the doctor displays a lack of faith in God. There is also a large increase in skepticism towards medical physicians, medication, and/or vaccinations because of the state in which we find the health care industry.

Regardless of how you feel about vaccinations and other medical treatments available, we cannot forget that Christ does give His creation the ability to heal. No, I am not speaking of medical healers who go around and claim they are able to place hands on individuals and heal them from their condition(s). However you feel about such people, healing is real and our main source of healing does not come from man or from medicine but from Christ.

Jesus did not hold a medical degree and He never opened up a clinic but many people came from near and from far distances to have their conditions healed by Christ. He did not have a practice but Christ healed every kind and type of sickness: “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (Matthew 9:35).

Jesus did not specialize in medicine but He was able to cure sickness and heal the sick but He is the creator of all things and there is nothing that can defeat Him. Our God is a mighty God and He has much compassion for all His creation: “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

Although Christ did not specialize in medicine, He did specialize in love for all people and He never turned anyone away regardless of their symptoms. Think about those with leprosy. During this period of time, if you were afflicted with this disease, you were put away from society and your life was basically over but again, there is nothing too big for Christ: “And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed” (Luke 17:12-14).

John Hagee once said that Christ performed more miracles than all the books of the world and I believe this to be because I know the nature of my God. All we as Christians have to do is reach out to Him and trust Him with all things and while they may not work out the way we want them to, it’s about what God truly wants. While each miracle and healing of our Lord stands out and we should give thanks and glory to Him, the one that stands out to me is raising Lazarus from the dead after he had been dead for four days: “Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already” (John 11:17).

Not only does God listen to our hearts and miracles are accompanied by faith and prayers but Christ is always on time and He never charges a fee. He never makes us wait in long lines although we sometimes have to wait for our miracle/healing to come and when there seems to be no hope and a medical professional does not provide much optimism, God is always faithful and hopeful even when we are down and have very little hope as God not only provides all but gave all: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).