They that be whole need not a physician but they that are sick pt 3

Healing is for those who are sick not the well. And from the previous post we realized that though Christ said He came to heal the sick, to call the sinners to repentance, we are all in need of healing because we are all sinners. He said that because He knew that there might be some who think otherwise or would not acknowledge that they are sick and in need of healing. 


There are a few things to note about Christ's miracles of healing. Those he healed:

1. They realized their need to be healed
2. Those He healed had heard word about what He was doing and believed that He could heal them
3. He was busy and they realized that if they let Him pass by without healing them, their opportunity to be healed might be lost
4. He told them to sin no more

Let us look at each one in detail

• They realized their need to be healed

“And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” Mark 1:40

People with the most debilitating conditions sought Christ to be healed. The more debilitating their condition, the more desperate they were for Him to heal them. 

The fact that they were utterly helpless in those days in dealing with most diseases made Christ's work of healing the sick all the more vivid. And He went above and beyond healing everything and even things that can not be dealt with today though we have all this technology and advancement in the medical field. People with all kinds of illnesses like Leprosy and all manner of disabilities sought Him because they recognized that here was someone who had the power to do so.

[25] And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
[26] And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, Mark 5:25, 26.

The lady with the issue is a good example of desperation. She had spent all her life savings and been to all the physicians she could consult and it did not help anything. She heard about Christ the Great Physician and sought Him.

Just as those who had the worst conditions desperately sought Him to be healed, it is the same for us. He who thinks their condition is terrible and that they are so sinful and unforgivable are the very ones he came to heal. All of us are sinful and so no matter how sinful you think you have been, He can forgive just as He healed all those with conditions which seemed impossible to overcome. It was a miracle for them and so it can be for us. 

There are some who are desperate and in bondage. Maybe it is gambling, sex addiction, pornography, prescription or recreational drugs, alcohol, eating, you name it. Or it could be things that are not taken seriously like gossip, lying, and so on. These are just a few examples of things which are great burdens and those in bondage can not stop indulging in them. Maybe you have tried everything to stop and spent money, gone to rehab, you name it, but are still in bondage.

The greater the burden from which those whom He healed were delivered, the more appreciative they were of what He had done and even it is the same for us as is written;

[47] Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

[48] And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. Luke 7:47, 48.

So, no matter how bad or sinful or terrible you are He can heal you too if you ask Him. If He can heal anything, He can heal you and take away your guilt and carry your burden of sin as is written;

[28] Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
[29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:28, 29.

• They had heard about Him

Christ moved from place to place healing people with all manner of disabilities and illnesses. He spent more time healing than He actually did preaching. His healing power in itself was in itself a confirmation of His words, that He came to give us life and that we might have it abundantly.

He did great things and the people He healed or who saw Him perform these miracles told others and soon multitudes would come to him from other towns seeking to be healed as we see in the following verses:

[27] And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
[28] And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

[37] And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. Mark 1:27, 28 and 37.

[15] But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. Luke 5:15.

[17] And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
[18] And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
[19] And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. Luke 6:17-19.

These people realized their need to be healed and in their desperation sought to touch Him. Faith was born in their hearts when they heard about His power to heal any malady. The news from other towns where He had been spread to surrounding cities and the multitudes from all these places sought him.

It is important to note something here. The multitudes where desperate and needed to be healed. When they heard about the miracles Christ the Physician was performing, that He was helping anyone and everyone and healing all manner of diseases, disabilities and even those possesed with demons, faith was born in their hearts. They believed that though they were in bad shape and desperatley needed to be healed, here was one who could heal them. No matter how serious or incurable the problem, people believed based on the news they had heard about Him. The news of what He was doing was good news indeed if one was 

[14] “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14.

How could they call on Him whom they have not believed? And how could they believe in him whom they had not heard about? And how could they hear unless someone told them about His healing power? Faith was born in their hearts once they heard about His power and they believed that if He healed all those other people, he could heal them also as is written,

[17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17.

The word they heard about Him was good news indeed because they had resigned themselves to their conditions. Some of them like the woman with the issue of blood had given up on getting well or having a normal life because of their conditions. To hear of someone who could actually do something about their conditions was good news indeed.

Likewise it is for us. We are sick with sin and the Good News is that there is someone who can heal us and restore us to what He would have us to be. That is why they were miracles for them. They are miracles for us to be delivered from our bondages because we can not deliver ourselves, so it is Good News indeed. But how can we call on Him if we do not even know or realize that we are sick? In the previous post we saw the symptoms of sin and how none of us are exempt from them for we do some of those things at one time or another on a daily basis. 

So when we do acknowledge that we are sick with this sickness of the soul, sin, then can the Physician heal us. And remember, this sickness is terminal unless we are healed because:

[23] For the wages of sin is death; ...Romans 6:23.

We can call on Him only when we have heard about the Great Physician. We have heard the Good News in His Word that:

[15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
[17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:15-17.

Only when we confess that we are sick can He heal us as is written:

[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9.

There was a condition to their being healed. They had to believe and so it was done unto them as is written;

[28] And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
[29] Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. Matthew 9:28, 29.

Without faith, they would not be healed. They had to believe and that was the only condition for them to be healed. Without believeing that he would heal them, nothing would change. Only if they believed would they be healed.

It is the same for us. Only if we believe that He can forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness can He do it. The healing takes place when we believe.

• They realized that if they let Him pass by, their chance for Him to heal them might be lost

[37] And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
[38] And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. Mark 1:37, 38.

[42] And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.
[43] And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. Luke 4:42, 43.

When Christ healed people, He would sometimes tarry for days in a place because there would be so much work to be done. But He had other places to go and more people to heal and teach also. Everywhere he went there would not only be local people but also people who would come from nearby places who would have heard about Him. He was always busy and many thronged Him to get as close as they could for Him to heal them.

Because He was so busy and had other places to go, there would be a chance that one might not be healed who needed it. It would be a pity to let the only one who can relieve any malady to pass by and not be healed. The chance might be forever lost because the probability that He would pass by those cities again was slim, and even if he did, one might not get the chance to get close again so that He could heal.

It is the same for us. Christ the Great Physician is available today and is within reach for Him to heal us from our sins. So while He is passing by, while he is still within reach, let us ask him to heal us as is written;

[15] While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts Hebrews 3:15.

Harden not your heart when you hear the Word, the Good News that He has come to heal you. You are sick and He would like to heal you, if you let Him. He can not force Himself on us to heal us if we choose not to. While it is today and while He is still within reach, harden not your hearts. He is here today but you might not be here tommorow. If you are not here tommorow, how can He heal you? While it is today and while He is available and we are available, let us not let this opportunity pass us by as is written;

[9] The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9.

While He is passing by, He is giving us time because He is not willing that any should perish but He will not do that forever, and we are not going to be around forver. The opportunity we pass up today, to repent and be healed we might not have tommorow because we might die, anything can happen to hinder us from getting this healing and we are advised not to put off till tommorow what we can do today. While it is today, let us not harden our hearts but let us seek His healing so that we can live, for the illness which we have of the soul is unto death as the wages of sin are death.

• Go and sin no more

When Christ healed, He instructed them to sin no more. This shows how He was pointing to a deeper healing, that of the soul. Through healing of the body, He hoped that the people would realize how it was a type of the healing which he desires for us of the soul. Yes the healing of the body was good, but what profit is it if when we are healed in the body, lose our souls. He was pointing to the healing of the soul, as is written;

[63] It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63.

All these things are more importantly for the soul's benefit. The body He can heal to give us relief but He hopes that in it, we can see that He has power to heal the soul. If He can us of any physical condition, He can do the same for the soul, no matter how sinful one's life has been. He healed incurable, severe conditions and disabilities, and so he can do the same for the soul. No matter how sinful you can think you are or that maybe your sins are unforgivable, He can heal anything and so He can heal you too no matter how incurable you think your soul is.

So the healing of the body gives us temprorary benefit but He would rather have us appreciate the fact that if He can heal any physical malady, He can do the same for the soul. A physical disease can destroy only the body, but the disease of the soul, sin, can lead to destruction of both the body and the soul, as is written;

[28] And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28.

So as much as physical diseases are terrible, even if they kill us, as long as the soul is healed we will be fine when He ressurects us to Eternal life but if we are not healed of the sickness of the soul, then we will surely die as the wages of sin are death.

So when He heals us, He would not want us to return to sin again as is written;

[14] Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. John 5:14.

We will see at another time how when He has made us whole by healing us of our sins and cleansing us from all our unrighteousness, He can help us by His power to stop sinning. Only by His power can we stop sinning.