The Great Physician

a reflection on Luke 4-5

by Janet Hsu

High fevers, leprosy, paralyzation. These were all physical ailments that Jesus came head to head with in last week’s scripture. We see Jesus rebuking the fever. He lays hands on sick people and heals them. He touches a man who has leprosy and immediately, the leprosy leaves him. Jesus tells a paralyzed man to get up and walk and up he goes.

Last week, I saw my own husband suffer through a painful blistering rash on his face and rendered him bedridden for days. When I read these passages, I thought of what Ken was going through and found it weird that Jesus rebuked the illness.

My first reaction was to call a doctor. Make sure that Ken obtains the proper drugs and the proper medical tests. Asking God for healing then is almost like an after-thought.

But from these readings, I am reminded that God is more powerful than any drug or surgery. While modern medicine is an amazing feat and should be utilized and marveled at, we forget that Jesus is the ultimate Healer and Physician. He desires to and can heal us, both spiritually and physically. We should place our faith in Him the same way the paralyzed man’s friends placed their faith in Jesus–so much that they punched a hole in the roof so their friend could get in the house.

I confess that I lack that type of faith. Like Simon Peter in the fishing story, I too, base my decisions on what I see with my eyes and my own experience and I am often left hopeless. But I pray that we ultimately trust Jesus and his words to us. If we are willing to extend ourselves to him, Jesus is willing to heal us.

artwork: Christ Cleansing a Leper, Jean-Marie Melchior Doze, 1864