The Great Medical Missionary

IN THE days of Christ there were no sanitariums in the holy land. But wherever the Great Physician went, He carried with Him the healing efficacy that was a cure for every disease, spiritual and physical. This He imparted to those who were under the afflicting power of the enemy. In every city, every town, every village through which He passed, with the solicitude of a loving father He laid His hands upon the afflicted ones, making them whole, and speaking words of tenderest sympathy and compassion. How precious to them were His words! From Him flowed a stream of healing power, which made the sick whole. He healed men and women with unhesitating willingness and with hearty joyfulness; for he was glad to be able to restore suffering ones to health.

The Mighty Healer worked so incessantly, so intensely--and often without food--that some of His friends feared He could not much longer endure the constant strain. His brothers heard of this, and also of the charge brought by the Pharisees that He cast out devils through the power of Satan. They felt keenly the reproach that came upon them through their relation to Jesus. They decided that He must be persuaded or constrained to cease His manner of labor, and they induced Mary to unite with them, thinking that through His love for her they might prevail upon Him to be more prudent.

Jesus was teaching the people when His disciples brought the message that His mother and His brothers were without, and desired to see Him He knew what was in their hearts, and "he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."

The enmity kindled in the human heart against the gospel was keenly felt by the Son of God, and it was most painful to Him in His home; for His own heart was full of kindness and love, and He appreciated tender regard in the family relation. But with their short measuring-line His brothers could not fathom the mission that He came to fulfil, and therefore could not sympathize with Him in His trials.

Some of those whom Christ healed He charged to tell no man. He knew that the more the Pharisees and Sadducees and rulers heard of His miracles, the more they would try to hedge up His way. But not withstanding His precautions, "so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities." Again and again He was followed by the priests, who expressed their violent sentiments against Him in order to stir up the enmity of the people. But when He could no longer safely remain in one place, He went to another.

In doing medical missionary work we shall meet the same opposition that Christ met. He declares: "Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come."

The life of Christ and His ministry to the afflicted are inseparably connected. From the light that has been given me, I know that an intimate relationship should ever exist between the medical missionary work and the gospel ministry. They are bound together in sacred union as one work, and are never to be divorced.

The principles of heaven are to be adopted and practiced by those who claim to walk in the Saviour's footsteps. By His example He has shown us that medical missionary work is not to take the place of the preaching of the gospel, but is to be bound up with it. Christ gave a perfect representation of true godliness by combining the work of a physician and a minister, ministering to the needs of both body and soul, healing physical disease, and then speaking words that brought peace to the troubled heart.

Christ has empowered His church to do the same work that He did during His ministry. Today He is the same compassionate physician that He was while on this earth. We should let the afflicted understand that in Him there is healing balm for every disease, restoring power for every infirmity. His disciples in this time are to pray for the sick as verily as His disciples of old prayed. And recoveries will follow; for "the prayer of faith shall save the sick." We need the Holy Spirit's power, the calm assurance of faith that can claim God's promises.

We should ever remember that the efficiency of the medical missionary work is in pointing sin-sick men and women to the Man of Calvary, who taketh away the sin of the world. By beholding Him they will be changed into His likeness. Our object in establishing sanitarium is to encourage the sick and suffering to look to Jesus and live. Let the workers in our medical institutions keep Christ, the Great Physician, constantly before those to whom disease of body and soul has brought discouragement. Point them to the One who can heal both physical and spiritual diseases. Tell them of the One who is touched with the feeling of their infirmities. Encourage them to place themselves in the care of Him who gave His life to make it possible for them to have life eternal. Keep their minds fixed upon the One altogether lovely, the Chiefest among ten thousand. Talk of His love; tell of His power to save.

The Lord desires every worker to do his best. Those who have not had special training in one of our medical institutions may think that they can do very little; but, my dear fellow workers, remember that in the parable of the talents, Christ did not represent all the servants as receiving the same number. To one servant was given five talents; to another, two; and to still another, one. If you have but one talent, use it wisely, increasing it by putting it out to the exchangers.

Some can not do as much as others, but every one is to do all he can to roll back the wave of disease and distress that is sweeping over our world. Come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty powers of darkness. God desires every one of His children to have intelligence and knowledge, so that with unmistakable clearness and power His glory shall be revealed in our world.