Physician

Physician is the name we’re looking at this week. It’s familiar territory – we looked at Yahweh Rophe, Yahweh Heals, back in February. Like Father, like Son.

Healing was a huge part of Jesus’s ministry. Matthew says this about Jesus’s early ministry:

23 Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. 24 And the news about Him spread throughout Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and severe pain, demon-possessed, people with epilepsy, and people who were paralyzed; and He healed them. Matthew 4:23-24

And Luke says this:

17 And then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were being cured. 19 And all the people were trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all. – Luke 6:17-19

And this:

At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. – Luke 7:21

Jesus healed a lot of people.

But “a lot” doesn’t mean much to us, does it? Whom did he heal? How were their lives impacted? How did Jesus respond to them?

This is one of my favorites:

5 And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, begging Him, 6 and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, terribly tormented.” 7 Jesus *said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion replied, Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” – Matt 8:5-10

Check out Matthew 8 for the full story. Spoiler – Jesus heals the servant.

But here’s what stands out to me. Jesus was amazed.

He’s the Creator of the universe, the one who designed every cell of our bodies. Of course, healing was a piece of cake for him. What amazed him? The centurion’s faith. Wouldn’t you like to amaze Jesus?

I get a little wistful thinking that Jesus didn’t actually go meet the servant. I get it – he’s hammering home that the centurion was right. His authority is such that he can  just say the word. I’ve always hoped that, at some point, Jesus met the servant.

Here’s another favorite:

2 Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, “Do not go on weeping.” 14 And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!”  – Luke 7:12-14

Jesus raised the son from the dead not to prove a point, but because he had compassion. I love that.

What are your favorite accounts of Jesus, our physician?

This study is inspired by Ann Spangler’s Praying the Names of God for 52 Weeks.