The Patience Of Jesus With the Patients Of Jesus

I. Ancient Medicine

Ex.1:15, midwives Ex.15:26, obedience gave health (rest, foods, marriage regulations, quarantines) Code of Hammurabi Egyptians: brain surgery Isa.1:6, needed cleansing, bandaging, and ointment (Lk.10:34)

Jer.8:22, Gilead’s balm (medical ointment) Mt.27:34. (1 T.5:23) Every Jewish town was required to have a physician. (Mk.5:26) Col.4:14, medicine advanced in Greece Hippocrates, doctors took oath: life of a patient should come first, they would never take advantage of women, or procure abortions, or reveal confidential information

I. Ancient Medicine II. The Doctor Will See You Now

Lk.4:16-23 Hearers demand proof that He has improved His own circumstances Lk.5:27-32 Proverbs: “A physician for others, but himself teeming with sores” – Euripides. “Physician, heal thine own limp.”

Physical healing: signs prove His divine mission Mt.4:23-24, heal all Mt.8:7-8…13, from distance Mt.8:16, w. a word Mt.10:8, helpers General practice House calls Bedside manner Physician’s assistants

Spiritual healing: salvation, His primary mission Mt.13:15, healed (= Mk.4:12) Lk.4:18, brokenhearted 1 Pt.2:24, sin, universal disease

Spiritual healing: Paradoxes W/o His tears, there is no comfort W/o His death…no life W/o His blood…no pardon W/o His cross…no crown W/o His shame…no glory W/o His grief…no joy W/o His stripes…no healing

Spiritual healing: Great Physician can heal all 1. Diagnoses: sins, 24. Mt.22:29 2. Doctors: wounds, Delivers: never lost patient who followed His directions, 24 His stripes (1 Pt.2:24) Our obedience (Lk.24; Ac.2)

I. Ancient Medicine III. The Patience Of Jesus With The Patients Of Jesus II. The Doctor Will See You Now

Mt.12:20 useless Bruised reed loses strength to stand upright – useless irritating Imperfect flax fibers; wicks smoke – irritating He is patient with the weak the useless the irritating

Examples of His patience w. His patients 1. Disciples 2. Immoral. Lk Enemies. Lk.15 The twelve: Mt.20 Peter: Mt.16; 26

I. Ancient Medicine IV. We Need Patience Of Jesus With The Patients Of Jesus II. The Doctor Will See You Now III. The Patience Of Jesus With The Patients Of Jesus

Mt.18:26, forgiveness Not just seven times Not just little things “I don’t work that way!”

1 Th.5:14, with all “He deserves not the name of patient who is only willing to suffer as much as he thinks proper, and for whom he pleases. The truly patient man asks (nothing) from whom he suffers, (whether) his superior, his equal, or his inferior…But from whom- ever, or how much, or how often wrong is done to him, he accepts it all as from the hand of God, and counts it gain!” – Thomas a Kempis Follow Jesus – Mt.12:20

2 Th.1:4, in tribulations Steadfast endurance: “masculine constancy under trial” (1 Th.2:14) Makes patience a blessing Most equate patience with sitting, but this patience works. To sit in sorrow or suffer w/o complaining takes strength; but the power to keep working under stress, to do daily tasks w. a great weight on your heart is Christ-like.

2 T.2:24, teaching Philip, Jn.14:8-10 Ja.1:4, perfect work Real patience endures to the end Ga.6:9 2 Pt.1:6, growth to salvation 2 Tim.2:3

“Patience is a virtue, Possess it if you can. Found seldom in a woman, Never in a man.”