Great Physician
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“One of the most distinctive characteristics of the Orthodox Christian Faith is a therapeutic view of salvation. Christ is the Great Physician Who restored people to physical and spiritual health in His earthly ministry. He set people free from demons, enabled the blind to see and the lame to walk, and even raised the dead. He continues to restore strength to us who are weakened and paralyzed by our passions. We find healing as we become “partakers of the divine nature” by grace, sharing in the eternal life of the God-Man even as we remain flesh and blood in the world as we know it.” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)
“…spiritual diseases that have taken time to mature, also take time to heal. The spiritual illness of self-importance often takes a lifetime to cure. But, thank God, there are some things we can begin to do to find relief. With the help of the Great Physician, no spiritual sickness is so severe that it cannot be treated and even healed while we are still in this earthly life.” (Fr. Michael Gillis)
“Let us, then, identify four truths about healing. First, everyone who values the healing touch of the Master has hope of finding true health…Second, we understand that Christ’s healing is available to us if we, as mortal human beings, allow Him to lay His hands on us (Mk 6:5). He heals all who are sick, including the immoral, the high-born, and the nobodies. Third, the Chief Physician’s circuit embraces every community, household, family, and person in this world who welcomes His therapy. He shows respect to neither age nor to race, financial worth, gender, nation, nor a host of other distinctions. Fourth, we note that those who are trained under the Master, whom He calls to Himself, are sent out two by two, in fellowship with others duly authorized. To these He gives power over unclean spirits (Mk 6:7). Even today, these disciples will respond to our honest appeals.” (Dynamis 9/15/2020)
“At some point, even well-meaning Christians adopted the viewpoint that all manner of evil that befall us—injury, accident, illness, disease, suffering, hardship, and violence—can be both attributed to and allowed by God. Phrases such as “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle” and the like abound in our common speech. To be clear, God is neither the orchestrator of human evil nor torment. Unknowingly, we are succumbing to the manipulative, insidious, workings of the great deceiver and his legions. At no point in time, have I ever perceived or framed the horrors of the world nor my own personal sufferings as an act or will of God. Not even when my cousin was murdered when he left my parents’ home in Charleston, nor the arson of a home where I lived in my 20s, nor any illness or injury endured in my life. However, what we do know is that we can use all experience as an opportunity to draw nearer to God and to witness to Him. And here is what we also know, Jesus Christ is the Master Physician of our souls and bodies. He is the one whose name literally means “our salvation and the one who heals.” He is our Redeemer. We do not go to the source of our torment for relief from our torment.” (Jackie Morfesis)
“Did you commit sin? Enter the Church, repent for your sin, for here is the physician, not the judge. Here one is not investigated; one receives remission of sins.” (St. John Chrysostom)
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