Why would anyone-- much less somebody-- adore a wound it was in their power to heal? If this is done out of 'love' for the afflicted: what is such 'love' but the tender mercies of cruelty a sane man can only expect from the wicked [Proverbs 12:10b]? Is cruelty born of envy [Matthew 27:18], perchance? Why does it seem the overwhelming majority of professing Christians would rather "bear in [their bodies] the [five] marks of the Lord Jesus [Galatians 6:17b]"-- as stigmata-- than see the King they call "Lord, Lord [Matthew 7:21- 23]" made whole? Are the overwhelming majority of professing Christians perverts without any trace of "faith which worketh by love [Galatians 5:6c]?" What kind of jackass prefers a half- ass 'Lord' over a whole One? his "Lord's" enemy?
Jesus, while witnessing to the religious of his day in his 'hometown' of Nazareth, "said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country [Luke 4:23]," foreshadowing the egocentric cruelty of his disciples. To clarify: the text of this passage in Luke's gospel says nothing of his disciples being in attendance when the Word of God uttered these gracious words; but who else could this 'gun' have been aimed at? Who among the temple leaders of his day were healing any one of any thing?
Matthew 10 and Luke 9 record the fact that Jesus' twelve apostles were granted diplomas from 'The Renaissance School of Medicine and Jesus Christ;' receiving from him power and authority to, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils:" saying, "freely ye have received, freely give [Matthew 10:8]." Yet, instead of glorifying God in freely giving: it seems like the apostles jumped back on the 'Jesus leash' before lunch. Matthew doesn't record their return, in particular; though Luke basically says they were gone long enough for Herod to form one thought; and then they returned with five thousand men (not to mention women and children, of course) who, like the apostles, were 'just dying for something to eat.'
According to Luke 10, Jesus then sent seventy others under the commission to do what the twelve had purportedly already done [Luke 9:6] (not that the twelve left anything undone, you know), saying, "heal the sick... and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you [Luke 10:9]." When the seventy then returned, they rejoiced-- not for being allowed by the power and blessing of God to accomplish their commission, but rather-- that they 'really knocked themselves out' playing 'Devil's Advocate' (i.e. 'Lording' it over the unclean spirits) saying, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name [Luke 10:17]." As near as I can make out: none of these eighty- two messengers "freely gave" anyone anything-- of the instruction they received in 'The Renaissance School of Medicine and Jesus Christ'-- but a hard time, while their Rabbi- physician lived. And when he died, they kept it 'all [Mark 8:36]' to themselves; giving none of his own back to him who gave them his 'all'-- freely or otherwise: without the commission of "a dispensation of the gospel [1 Corinthians 9:17d]."
While Jesus was in the tomb the two nights and one day between sunset 'Good Friday' evening and Sunday morning (before sunrise), the disciples 'elected' for voluntary 'protective custody' "for fear of the Jews [John 20:19c]," rather than going to the tomb and "[raising] the dead [Matthew 10:8c]" Jesus, who had given them the power to be so 'helpful,' had they had a stomach for such work. Perhaps it's on account of my 'simplicity,' that I think in such 'terms of endearment;' but if I were a professor of medicine at an 'accredited' university-- even if it weren't 'named' for me-- I should think one very good reason for teaching a dozen- or- eighty- two student 'physicians' the proper method of performing a triple bypass operation would be so I wouldn't have to do them all myself-- especially not my own. In Jesus' case, however, perhaps the reason the professor 'fell on infirmity' was to uncover the contents of his students' hearts [2 Chronicles 32:31]; not to uncover the contents of his own heart to us, as such. Indeed, though at least ten of them 'handled' the Physician, post- renaissance (unless they were disobedient, even to his face) [Luke 24:39], Jesus' 'corpus' was apparently none the better for "the laying on of the hands of the presbytery [1 Timothy 4:14c]."
And it wasn't 'only Jesus' they were unwilling to raise- up or heal. Not once is it recorded that any one of the eighty- two disciples who were awarded 'lambskins' from 'The Renaissance School of Medicine and Jesus Christ' ever raised or healed one of the other eighty- one alumni thereof [though they did raise and heal many who had not (before or after their 'handy work') this power and authority]; in spite of the fact that they did not all die simultaneously. Even poor Paul of Tarsus-- himself an 'outsider,' was 'left hanging- out to dry' (and that in "that great city" [ Revelation 17:18a]); in spite of a number of ill- advised trips to the only city the Dirty Dozen apparently cared the slightest whit for. Perhaps the apostles and disciples 'simply couldn't stop' arguing about "which of them should be greatest [Luke 9:46b, et. al.]." In which case, the 'Death Watch of the Dirty Dozen and the Disciples of Jesus' must have ended with one 'survivor' who, in 'due' process of time, died without any to raise him, thanks to his meager esteem of charity and 'great, swelling heart' of "love [of] the brethren [1 John 3:14b]."
Speaking for myself, I would rather have a whole, holy King [please, God] than a half- ass holy One; and the same goes for family in general. As long as we're all whole and holy: what does it matter who's the 'greatest?' Isn't it 'enough' that we all be great 'collectively?' I love my family-- not myself. Loving me is my family's concern-- not mine. It amazes me how quickly we forget the first word Jesus said when he began to begin to preach: "Repent [Matthew 4:17c]!" and, likewise, how easily we forget the lake of fire is at "hands [Psalms 90:17]."
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