They That Are Whole Need Not a Physician - Luke 5:31

Luke the beloved physician shared how Jesus, “went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners?”, and in chapter five and verse thirty-one of his book Luke shares how Jesus said, “they that are whole need not a physician” where we read:

And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

The verse reads, “And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician;” Luke began with the words, “And Jesus” which refers to “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation” “answering” which means “responding and beginning to speak” “said unto them” or “uttered, declared and proclaimed to the scribes and Pharisees”, “they that are whole” which means “people who are sound, well and in good health” “need not a physician” or “do not want, demand or require a doctor or medical person”. Luke shared how Jesus responded to the “scribes and Pharisees” question by reminding them “well” people do not need a “doctor”.

The verse goes on to say, “but they that are sick.” Luke continued with the words, “but they” which means “however, moreover and people” “that are sick” or “who are unwell, miserable, ill, diseased and grievously sore”. Luke shared how Jesus said people who are “ill, sore and diseased” need a “doctor”.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus answered these “religious leaders”. They indignantly wondered why He would “eat and drink” with “sinners” such as the “tax-collectors”, and Jesus referred to them as “spiritually sick”. Doctors are generally desired by people who are “sick”, not well and infirm in their bodies, and these “tax-collectors” and “others” who were eating and drinking with Jesus were “sick” in their souls. Jesus came to “save” people from their spiritual “sickness” caused by “sin”, and because God loves people so much, He sent His Son Jesus, the “Great Physician” to make them whole. Those who examine the life of Jesus will find Him to be the only “doctor” who is able to “heal” their souls, and when they do, yielding to Him to “cure” their greatest need is the wisest choice they shall ever make.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".