The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 255

Ver. 11.-TM healing hand of (Jhrist. "An<l healed them that had Med of heal- ing." Antle who are they to whom these words do not apply? In a worlrl as full of sin as ours ie, there is nothing of which we have greater need than a Divine Hcal,,r. For sin means sickness, disease, derangement, pain-both spiritual and corpor,·:il. Every human ear wants to hear those gracious words, "I am the Lord that healeth thee; " every human heart has occasion to plead, " Heal me, 0 Lord, and I shall be healed;" every soul is again and again in need of the great beneficent Physician. l. As THOSE LIABLE TO DISEASE AND PAIN. Co11sidering the extreme intricacy of our bo<lily structure, and considering also the irregularities and evils of which we are guilty, it is wonderful that there is as much health and as little sickness as we find. But he is an exception to his fellows who goes for many years without ailment and, indeed, without illness. And we have all of WI reason to ble~s the Lord of our Ii ves that he heals us so readily and so often. He heals in two ways. 1. By conferring on us a nature which has recuperative powers, so that without any medical aid the wound is healed, the organ recovers its power and fulfils its functions. 2. By giving us medicinal herbs which our science can discover and apply, the nature of which is to heal and to restore. In both these cases it is the Lord of our human body and of nature who "works" (John v. 17) for our benefit. Our art, where it is exerciserl, only supplies one condition out of me.ny; it alone would be utterly insufficient. Whenever we a.re healed of any malady, slight or serious, we should join in the exclamation of the psalmist (ciii. 3), and feel that we have one reason more for gratitude and devotion. Let those who have been brought back from the gates of tbe grave by Christ's pitiful and healing kindness consider whether they a.re paying him the vows which they made in the hour of suffering and danger (Ps. !xvi. 14). II. As TIIE CHILDREN OF BOBROW:, Possibly we may know nothing of serious sick- ness-there are those who esc.ape it-but we all know what sorrow means. Trouble is a visitor that knocks at every door, that finds its way to every human heart. It may be some gradually approaching evil, which at length culminates in di:;aster; or it may be some sudden blow, which badly bruises if it doe~ not break the heart. It may be the heavy, entangling loss; or the grave, oppressive anxiety; or the lamentable failure; or the sore &.n<l sad bereavement. How precions, then, beyond all price, the healing of the Divine Healer I In these dark hours our Divine Lord comes to us with ministering hand. 1. He impels all those who a.re dear to us to grant ns their tenderest and most sustaining love; and human kindness is a very hea.ling thing. 2. He grants us his own most gracious sympathy; he is touched with a feeling of our infirmity; we know and feel that he is with us, watching over us, "afflicted in our affliction; " a.cd the sympathy of our Saviour is a precious balm to our wounded spirit. 3. He comes to us in the .office and the Person of the Divine Comforter, directly soothing and heal- ing our torn and troubled hearts. Thus he heals us according to the greatness of our need. III. AB THOSE WTIO SUFFER FROM A WOUNDED CHARACTER. A WOUilded spirit is worse than a. bodily infirmity (Prov. xviii. 14); but a wounded character is worse th:l.Il a. wounded spirit, for tl,at is a spirit that has injured itself. There are those who present to their friends and neighbours the spectacle of bodily hen.Ith and materinl prosperity; but what their Master sees when he regards them is spiritual infirmity. 'l'bey are weak, sickly, inwardly deranged. Their hearts are very far from being as he would like to see them; instead of ardent love is lukewarmness; instead of rev,·rence is flippancy of spirit; instead of a holy scrupulousness and a. wise restraint is laxity if not positive disobedience; instead of zeal is coldness and indifference to his cause and kingdom. Of all men living, these are they who have most" need of healing." An,l Christ both can and will heal them. To such as these ho says, "I will heal thy back- sliding;" "Wilt thou be made whole?" And if they will but ~o to him in a spirit of humility, of faith, of reconsecration, they will receive power from his gracious tnnch, they will rise renewed; and as they rise from the couch of spiritnal langour an,! in,11 f- fcrence to walk, to run in the way of his commandments, to climb the hoi~hts of close aud holy fellowship with God, a deeper note of joy will sound from the depth of th~ir  2:i6 'fTIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LURE. [rn. 1x. 1-------$2,