No one called him “Doctor,” but Jesus was a great healer. He cared greatly for the sick. He never took the oath written by Hippocrates in the 4th century B.C., yet he used his powers “for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment” (from the Hippocratic oath).
Jesus cured the diseased, comforted the afflicted, restored sight to the blind, mobility to the lame, cleansing to the lepers, hearing to the deaf, sight to the blind and even life to the dead (Lu. 7:21,22). He had no nurse, no clinic, no operating room, no medicines, and no medical degree. What he had was great compassion. “It is not the healthy that need a doctor,” he said, “but the sick” (Mt. 9:12).
When we care for the sick, we are following in the footsteps of Jesus. The New Testament church healed the sick (Ac. 5:15), visited the sick (Ac. 28:8), and prayed for the sick (Jms. 5:15). To be that church we must have love for soul and also for the body. Jesus said to His “sheep,” “I was sick, and you visited me” (Mt. 25:30). Those in the hospitals, and sick at home, deserve our compassion and attention. Dr. Jesus took time to care for the sick and asks that we do as well. Could you visit a sick person this week?
-Dennis Doughty
