December 26, 2018
Isaiah 53:4-6

Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

New International Version (NIV)
Who wants to be a healer? Before God called me to preach I had hoped to be a medical doctor.   In a new book, Michael Attas, a minister and physician asks future physicians why they want to go into the medical profession.  There are easier ways to make money, he argues.  The former prestige of the medical profession has been lost.  One great reason to become a physician is that you love to serve other people.

In his fourth servant song, Isaiah tells us that God’s servant will suffer punishment for others and heal them by his wounds.  Some have interpreted this to mean that Christians should never be sick at all because Jesus has already taken their sicknesses.  Neither scripture nor experience bear out this misinterpretation of scripture.  1 Peter 3:18 quotes this passage to speak of God’s healing of our spiritual sickness of sin.  The fuller context of  Isaiah 53 confirms this explanation as well. 

How can a wounded person heal another?  Perhaps only the wounded care enough to heal others.  Some of the most helpful people in the world are those who have gone through great pain themselves.  This year has been so painful for so many.  The tragedies which have befallen my friends are so bad that we are tempted to believe not one good thing can come out of the pain.  But God works all things together for good.  He never wastes our pain.  Pain is part of life.  But God heals us and then heals others through us.  If you have been wounded, by all means, like your Savior be a wounded healer.  

Pray with me:  
Father, we thank you for the healing which flows from Jesus’ grievous wounds.  Thank you for forgiving us our sins.  Use the challenges in our lives for your greater glory.  Our scars reveal that we have been wounded.  Don’t let us wound others because we have been wounded.  Make us wounded healers, for the sake of the world which is also wounded and broken.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.
   This year we focus our Every Day with Jesus readings on Jesus’ story.  With references to Tallowood's Read Through the Bible in 2018 daily reading plan, let's focus our undivided attention on Jesus and follow where he lead. He will not fail. Neither will we!
 
Joyfully, 
 
Duane 
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