“Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you” (Colossians 4:14).
Medical treatment in ancient times was often a gruesome and risky prospect. The advanced therapies and technologies that benefit us today hadn’t even been thought of back then. So maybe we should cut ancient doctors some slack for all their bloodletting, boring holes in skulls, and rubbing animal dung into wounds. Physicians of the ancient world did have some successes; their therapies and surgeries sometimes brought a cure or partial cure to their patients. As early as the fifth century BC, for instance, cataract surgeries brought improvements in sight to some patients.
Medicine had improved only moderately by Luke’s day. But Doctor Luke had an advantage most of his colleagues did not—he had the privilege of regular consultations with the Great Physician. He received wisdom that only the Creator could impart, and his deep love for the Lord undoubtedly made him a compassionate doctor. No wonder this co- worker of Paul, who accompanied the apostle on some of his missionary journeys, was known as “the beloved physician.”
As the only gospel writer with a Gentile background, Luke penned the third gospel account and the book of Acts. Although Luke was not a first- hand witness of the events he chronicled in his gospel, he was the most educated of the gospel writers and apparently interviewed many eyewitnesses while carefully compiling precise information.
Of the six miracles of Jesus that are unique to the book of Luke, five of them would have held special interest for its medically trained author: the resurrection of the widow’s son, the healing of the woman with the spirit of infirmity, the healing of the man with dropsy, the healing of the ten lepers, and the healing of the ear of Malchus. Throughout the book, Luke presents Jesus as One who has the power to heal not only every physical ailment but also every mental, emotional, and spiritual disease.
Do you need healing of any kind? The office of the Great Physician is always open.
Dear Jesus, thank You for Your compassionate healing power in my life today!
For Further Study: Luke 4:18; Psalm 103:2–4; Matthew 9:11–13