Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

This week’s focus was inspired by the television show ‘The Good Doctor’. The show is about an autistic surgeon who has extraordinary medical skills and incredible intuitions to save lives, and throughout the show he continuously challenges the skepticism of his colleagues.

When Jesus walked the earth, he was also different and had an extraordinary skill and intuition to save lives. He also challenged the skepticism of the religious people and their leaders, who should have been His colleagues.

Let’s binge study Jesus’ different way of healing and challenging the religious norms during His house call here on earth, beginning with His proclamation of being the Great Physician.

Today’s scripture, Luke 5:29‭-‬32 (NLT) shares…
Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?” Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

Consider…
I have often heard Jesus referred to as the ‘Great Physician’, yet I couldn’t find a scripture that ascribes that title to Him. So I googled, ‘Great Physician’ and found Luke 5:31 scripture commonly associated with Jesus claiming to be the Great Physician, so let’s look at the verse in context to see why.

First, the verse follows religious skepticism. Let’s set the scene. Jesus healed two men, one with Leprosy (Luke 5:12-14), and another paralyzed (Luke 5:17-26). Before healing the paralyzed man, Jesus challenged the religious norms by first forgiving the man’s sins. Luke 5:21 (NLT) says…
But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

Ironically the Pharisees and teachers didn’t realize that Jesus was revealing the fact that He was God to them. Unfortunately there are religions today that still struggle with the truth that Jesus is God.

Resuming the scene, Jesus heals the paralytic and amazes everyone who witnesses it.

Continuing through today’s episode, we follow Jesus adding His newest follower, an infamous tax collector named Matthew. (Luke 5:27-28)

This brings us up to today’s scripture, where we dropped into the current episode titled the ‘Great Physician’. It begins with a sinners’ house party and the religious leadership’s double down on it’s skepticism of who Jesus claimed to be.

The religious leadership’s passive aggressive challenge of Jesus being the Christ was expressed in their words…
“Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”

Unfortunately, religious people and leaders still criticize Christians that associate with scum. Somehow their belief is that damning people to hell is more effective than leading them to Heaven. I say that because I still hear more constant criticism preaching, than I see Christ-like loving and gentle reaching.

It’s the Phrarisees and their teacher’s skepticism that leads us to Jesus’ profound prognosis and proclamation from today’s scripture…
Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

Jesus Christ is the ‘Great Physician’ because only He can, and came to, heal body and soul!

When you help others, are you focused on their physical and spiritual needs like Jesus? And are you responsive to those who let you know they need help?

As members of Jesus’ salvation team, He wants us to prepare those who know they’re sinners who need to repent, for His holistic healing. How do we do that? Simply lead them to the Great Physician that healed us. But guess what, that will require you to associate with scum, regardless of the skeptical religious norms.

New found faith in Jesus should inspire us to bring our friends to Him, not forget or abandon them! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Today’s song is…
Can You Reach My Friend

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)