How Powerful is yours?
The most powerful father is the one that can heal anything. You will not find the term Great Physician in the bible. However, the spiritual knowledge and understanding that Jesus and His Father are “The Physician” is.
Each of the four Gospels in the New Testament record numerous accounts where Jesus healed someone or groups of someones. Paralytics, demon possessed individuals, blind, deaf, a simple fever, and people with leprosy. The term leprosy was used loosely in those days because it didn’t refer to anything specific. It could be classified as anything from a pimple on the face to an infected cut to mold and mildew on clothing and walls.
Jesus came to heal, but not specifically in a physical manner. He heal physical ailments though to 1) bring the glory to His Father who is in heaven, and 2) to help guide the people to repentance. However, His main healing purpose was to heal spiritually. Heal the soul. The first three Gospels quote Jesus saying, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous (spiritually well), but sinners (spiritually sick) [to repentance].” This statement of Jesus’ can be found in Matthew 9:13, Mark 2:17 and Luke 5:32.
So, some 50 or so years after Jesus, the beloved physician, Luke, comes along. Although he does not (and more to the point, cannot) spiritually heal people, Luke, converted to following the teachings of Christ, heals people physically.
Following in his Father's footsteps
Luke is not a very common name these days. Although it is ranked #30 in the popularity charts for baby names, I personally only know of three people named Luke. My great nephew is named Luke, Darth Vader’s son was named Luke, and a well known, well liked and well needed “beloved physician” some 2000 years ago was named Luke.
Dads generally have this hope in the back of their minds that one day their sons will follow in the their footsteps. The first Luke, my great nephew, is under the age of 5, so his footstep following is still yet to be determined. Luke #2, we know all too well from the years of following his life story on the big screen, did not follow in his father’s footsteps. Which brings us to Luke #3. A godly man because he was a Gentile that became a companion to the Apostle Paul. He was widely known as the beloved physician which leads me to believe that he did follow in his Father’s footsteps.
I’m referring to his Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ.
Daily Living Devotion in the book of Luke
You can't have a death and resurrection without a birth.
I find it completely non-coincidental that I read the account of Jesus’ birth a week before the Easter (Resurrection) holiday. But what a blessing Jesus’ birth is. And a miracle nonetheless. His mother Mary, a Jewish young lady, and when I say young, she was probably in and around the age of 13 to 15 years old. Visited by the angel Gabriel who was sent by God. Let that sink in for a second…..God….the One who created the heavens and the earth….sent Gabriel down to earth to speak with this favored, Jewish young lady.
What a fright, but yet what an honor. Gabriel tells Mary this; “Hail favored one! The Lord is with you.” Then he goes on to say to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.” (Luke 1:28, 30) Her response to all this, “Behold, the bond-slave of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word.” (vs 38) How humble is that!?!?! To be favored by the God of the universe. To be chosen to carry His seed.
Joy runs in the Family
With the revelation that she will be giving birth to the Son of God, Mary heads to her cousin Elizabeth’s house, who is also with child. This just blows my mind. Mary will be giving birth to Jesus, God’s son, and Elizabeth will be giving birth to a son also, whose name will be John, who turns out to be John the Baptist. John the Baptist is a second cousin to Jesus Christ the Lord! HOW COOL IS THAT? The childhood stories they must have on each other.
But back to Mary and Elizabeth and their joy. Elizabeth gives the blessing of a lifetime to Mary in verses 42-43, and 45, “Blessed among women are you and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” Elizabeth knew in her heart that Mary’s baby was her Lord. The joy and excitement she must have been experiencing was beyond words, I’m sure.
But not only was Elizabeth filled with joy, her unborn child was as well. Verse 41 tell us that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And then in verse 44, Elizabeth tells Mary, “for behold when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.”
The Gospel of the Universal Savior
To know the Savior of the world like John the baptist did , before either one of them was born. What a connection. What a relationship. And a relationship and connection that continued long into their adult lives. Later on we will discuss how John views himself as not even being worthy to untie the thong of His sandals. John knew the magnitude of Jesus. He knew there is salvation in no one else, that there is no other name given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) And John was biologically related to that salvation and he leaped with joy.
The book of Luke is known to be the Gospel of the Universal Savior – the Savior of the poor and the rich, male and female, Jew and Gentile, slave and free. That is cause to leap for joy.
Most gracious heavenly Father, I want to leap for joy at the sound of your name. Teach me to be excited for you.
Hey Jamie, the original post was on March 22nd…my Dad’s birthday ❤ he passed away on September 7th this year 2019. Just sent you a friend request. Want to keep in touch. I babysat you guys 50 years ago. Always will love you ❤
This is beautiful! I am just recently coming to know God as a Father for my own father was mentally ill and I was unable to have a healthy relationship with him. God is indeed a Father in the best sense of the word and I am so grateful to be called His child!
You and me both, sister. 😉 It is such a comfort to know we can count on Him at all times. He will never leave you, nor forsake you, nor stop loving you. 🙂
I just want to say the title of your post really caught my attention. This was something I would always say to myself as a child, we all have a father in God. I struggled as s child not having a father like my friends did, so I would always tell myself I had God as my father. Loved reading your post!
Thank you. I am glad your enjoyed it. I will be adding additional segments to Luke soon. I just loved how God fit it together for me with the whole “physician” aspect. And Yes, to have Him as our Father is love like none other. 🙂