Jesus: Spiritual Physician Mark 7:24-37

Text: “Heal me, oh Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved - for Thou art my praise.”

Jeremiah 17:14.

Good morning, afflicted Christian!  Whether it be by despair, distraction, disease or disablement - your lot in this life is an unenviable one; one which we able-bodied Christians frequently forget; one which you, of course, can never forget for a moment - for your affliction is forever with you.  Let every Christian pray for our long-term afflicted brethren.

Yet, take heart suffering one, the Spiritual Physician is at hand to bless, heal, and give strength to bear all sufferings suffered in accordance with His own sovereign will.

“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.  Behold (look, and fully understand), I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls (defences) are continually before Me.”  (Isaiah 49:15-16)

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”  (Isaiah 41:10)

Today’s Scripture passage reveals Christ as a Supernatural Physician operating a ministry of Omnipotent healing in TWO distinct ways: one by faith, and the other by personal application - and “...doing all things well...”. (Mark 7:37) Praise the Lord God!  Hallelujah!  Amen.

Physician by Faith: (Vs 25-30) James, by the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, wrote: “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up...”  (James 5:15)

Faith is, of course, the gift of God to “His people”, a gift He loves to see us exercise.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Without God-given faith it is quite impossible to please God the Almighty faith Giver.  (Hebrews 11:1;6)

Therefore, when we exercise this faith publicly, as the women in our Bible passage for today did - all things are possible to us. 

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (believes/trusts, and continues to believe/trust.)” (Mark 9:23)

It is very interesting to note the Supernatural order of progression contained in this piece of Scripture.  The woman ‘HEARD’ of Jesus (Romans 10:17); she ‘FELL’ at Christ’s feet, an act of submission to His will as well as an act of open worship of Him (Romans 10:9-11); she ‘BESOUGHT’ Him, or prayed of Him a favour (Matthew 7:7-11); she ‘HUMBLED’ herself to His will (Psalm 10:17); yet ‘REASONED’ with Him (Isaiah 1:18) - and her humble, worshipful, prayer was miraculously answered.  Praise God!  What a Saviour!

“Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”  (Jeremiah 33:3)

Not all who pray for healing are so immediately healed, if ever.  Yet, God gives His dear sufferers added grace to enable us to bear our sufferings victoriously, and often, in some mysterious way, to His greater glory.  (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Let us who are more able-bodied play our part in alleviating the sufferings of others also.  Remember?  We are instructed in God’s Word to: “Bear ye one another’s burdens...”.  (Galatians 6:2) Amen.  So be it, Lord God.

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“In the first place, this passage is meant to encourage us to pray for others. The woman who came to our Lord, in the history now before us, must doubtless have been in deep affliction. She saw a beloved child possessed by an unclean spirit. She saw her in a condition in which no teaching could reach the mind, and no medicine could heal the body, —a condition only one degree better than death itself. She hears of Jesus, and beseeches Him to “cast forth the devil out of her daughter.” She prays for one who could not pray for herself, and never rests till her prayer is granted. By prayer she obtains the cure which no human means could obtain. Through the prayer of the mother, the daughter is healed. On her own behalf that daughter did not speak a word; but her mother spoke for her to the Lord, and did not speak in vain. Hopeless and desperate as her case appeared, she had a praying mother, and where there is a praying mother there is always hope. (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

Physician by Touch: (Vs.31-37) The deaf person cannot speak properly because he/she cannot hear the verbal sounds they require to utter.  Thus, the Master Physician, Jesus, hearing the pleas of those who had brought the infirm to Him, first took the infirm out from the multitude (John 6:44-48); opened his ears with a touch (Proverbs 20:12); gave utterance to his tangled tongue (Isaiah 35:3-6); and no doubt a new song of deliverance to sing!  (Psalm 40:1-3) Hallelujah!  What a gracious Lord God!  What a Supreme Saviour indeed!  Has He not done all things well?  (Joshua 21:45)

Ah yes, afflicted Christian.  Medical science, surgery, and human healing techniques are all God’s gifts to the human species - but only Christ Jesus can heal the sin-sick soul.  Let us bring all types of afflictions to Him, He is only a prayer away.  Ask.

Thought:  If bruised or broken, return immediately to the Creator – the Lord Jesus Christ.  (John 1:10 (Hebrews 1:1-2)