“Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’”

The situation turned faster than a New York second.  Jesus had returned to his hometown where he grew up.  All the locals knew him.  He’d been a good kid, in fact, the best kid around.  He had proved his handiwork in his father’s carpentry shop before leaving town.  So when news got out that he had returned, and the word on the street was that he had done miracles in other locales, well, everybody wanted to know what was up.  So there he was in the synagogue on Saturday taking his place among the men.

The leader asked him to read a portion of the Scripture, and he opened up to Isaiah.  Jesus stood up, found the portion he wanted to read and began: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (61:1-2).  It was proper to stand when reading God’s Word, and also proper to teach sitting down, which showed humility.  So Jesus sat down with “the eyes of everyone in the synagogue fastened on him” (Luke 4:20).  Then he said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (v. 21).  At first they “were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips,” but then it hit them: “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (v. 22).  In other words, doubt didn’t just creep in, it rushed in like a high-speed bullet train!  And Jesus knew the rapid transformation occurring in their hearts.

“Surely you will quote this proverb to me: Physician, heal yourself!  Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum” (v. 23).  In other words, they denied his claim outright.  They wanted proof, evidence, a sign, something that would verify his claim.  Why?  Because they knew him, or thought they did.  But they didn’t really.  He actually was the Physician seated in their midst, and they dismissed the claim.

We know little about this proverb, but Jesus took it to heart literally.  He had said earlier, when reading from Isaiah, that he had come to proclaim “recovery of sight to the blind.”  The Greek word here is “healing,” and since he was the one doing the healing, that made him the Physician.  So Jesus took this quite seriously.  One chapter later with a different audience — Pharisees and teachers of the law (5:17) — four men lowered their paralyzed friend lying on a cot down from an opening in the roof of a house where Jesus was.  “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven’” (v. 20).  The locals naturally thought this was blasphemous, so he asked them, “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” (v. 23).  Jesus had the ability to do both, and did both.  But those complaining had the ability to do neither.  Jesus would not tolerate such criticism from such arrogant weakness.  But we shouldn’t lose the point: Jesus is a physician.  He healed this man from his malady instantly and completely.  And the man walked home carrying his cot and praising God (v. 25).

For the Jews, God connected sickness with sin and healing with obedience. “There the Lord made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them.  He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you’” (Exodus 15:25-26).  He “heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:3) and “will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness (Psalm 41:3).  Not so in the New (John 9:1-2).  Though God is the Physician, he doesn’t heal every believer from every disease, even if he or she is the most faithful servant with the greatest attitude and the most dynamic walk with God.  Right now a close friend and faithful supporter of our ministry lies in a hospital room entering what may be the last stages of a rare syndrome doctors know little about.  Fervent prayers from untold believers around the world have gone up for him and his family.  I have seen this before with other select believers.  Why doesn’t God heal my friend?  In reality, he does and he will.  The thing is, God may not heal the way we’re praying.  The ultimate healing is a safe arrival home — in heaven.  And I am completely assured of my friend’s destination. God will heal.

Our Physician doesn’t heal according to our preferences or wants, but for his sake and glory (Isaiah 48:11).  That’s all that really counts.  Do you live for, pray to and serve the Physician in that way?