What the Bible says about To Heal the Brokenhearted
(From Forerunner Commentary)
The word gospel means “good news,” but conflicting ideas exist about what the good news is. Most who call themselves Christians consider the good news simply to be that Jesus died for the sins of humanity, which is definitely good news. But the good news that Jesus brought was about the Kingdom of God, as Scripture says (see Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 16:16). It was about the dominion of God, both present and future.
Matthew 9:36 includes a helpful detail in the context of Christ's preaching of the gospel: “But when [Jesus] saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” Simply put, the people of Judea and Galilee were in a wretched state. They were exhausted, discouraged, and despondent.
Similarly, in Luke's account of the inauguration of Christ's ministry, He quotes from Isaiah about His being anointed “to preach the gospel to the poor; . . . to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:16-19). Jesus preached to a downtrodden people.
Ample evidence exists that much of what troubled the people were the leaders, the lawyers, the ones loading them with burdens they could not bear. The people suffered largely because of the mismanagement of the various power structures that held sway over them and against which they were powerless. The gospel of the Kingdom of God, then, is good news because it is a message of divine governance, where the governed finally have righteous leadership.
Revelation 11:15-18 shows the fulfillment of the gospel:
Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
The first-century people of Judea and Galilee are not the only ones who have become wearied and discouraged because of failed governments. Corruption has characterized human government from the beginning. Mankind's fundamental problem is that he will not even govern himself within the limits of God's standards, let alone govern others in righteousness. The records of the Bible and secular history both show humanity's inability to solve its problems because they originate in the human heart, which is out of alignment with the heart of the Creator. The carnal heart is incurably sick (Jeremiah 17:9). The gospel teaches that the real solutions must and will come from above because humanity simply cannot produce good and just societies that last for any length of time.
The Olivet Prophecy reveals that humanity's mismanagement will get so corrupt that, if God allowed matters to run their course, no flesh will be saved alive (Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:20). But for the sake of His elect, He has already determined to cut short the days at the end and intervene by taking His great power and reigning. He will claim rule over all the kingdoms and nations of this world, much to their anger and great dismay. Only when Jesus establishes His Kingdom on earth and judges from Jerusalem will the world finally experience peace and prosperity.
David C. Grabbe
Implications of the Gospel of the KingdomRelated Topics: Cutting Short Man's Rule | Good News | Good News of the Kingdom of God | Gospel of the Kingdom of God | Heart is Deceitful | Implications of the Gospel of the Kingdom | Mismanagement and Exploitation | Olivet Prophecy | Proclaiming Liberty to the Captives | Prophecy, Olivet | To Heal the Brokenhearted
What is the love that we are to have and show fellow man (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:43; 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31: Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8)? The Greek word for "love" in this command is agapao (Strong's #25), "to have a warm regard for and interest in another, cherish, have affection for." This seems like a rather general definition of any kind of love, but Jesus elevates it to an unconditional love, a heartfelt response to do good for another as the occasion requires, no matter who the other is, whether family, friend, enemy, or person on the street.
Showing this kind of love to our neighbor, then, goes far beyond wishing him well but extends to actively doing him good. It does not mean doing what will please him, but choosing to benefit him by showing him favor and goodwill. The outworking of this love may involve expressions of kindness or providence, or it could even be giving discipline and punishment. Its emphasis is on doing what is good for him, not on whether it will necessarily please him.
Then we must ask, "Who is my neighbor?" This question is asked of Jesus, and He replies with the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. The text tells us this expert in the law wished to justify himself, that is, show himself to be in the right on this matter and thus excuse his behavior. He had no argument regarding loving God, and as for loving his neighbor, he may have indeed been a good neighbor as instructed by the Pharisaical interpretation of the law.
Generally, that interpretation essentially boils down to "love your neighbor as long as they are not Gentiles." Some Pharisees carried this to extremes, turning it into hatred for any racial, ethnic, and religious group but their own. They despised Samaritans (thus Jesus' use of a good Samaritan in His parable) and called Gentiles "dogs" and probably other derogatory names.
We do the same today. We will love our neighbors as long as they are friends or coworkers or of the same race, ethnic group, or social status. We will love our neighbors if they follow our team, political views, or social causes. But that is not what God wants of us!
This can be seen in the parable. The story is of a Jew traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho on business, a journey of about fifteen miles. Robbers hold him up, beat him, and take everything he has, even his clothing, leaving him by the roadside half-dead and bleeding.
First, a man of his own nation, no less than a priest—a man who represents the love, compassion, tenderness, and kindness of God to the world—happens by. Of all people, one would think he would be the first to stop and help the battered traveler. Yet, he passes by on the other side, diverting his eyes, as if he never saw the man in need.
Then comes a Levite, one whose God-given task was to serve in the Temple. He not only sees the wounded man but also takes the time to walk over and examine him. But like the priest, he offers no help, scurrying to the opposite side of the road and continuing on his way.
Finally, a despised Samaritan happens by, and his heart goes out to the suffering man. Without thought for himself, he begins to clean him, pouring wine on the wounds to disinfect them and oil to promote healing. Then, putting him on his beast, he walks beside it until they arrive at an inn where the injured man could receive care and rest. He spares no expense and promises to repay the innkeeper for his troubles in helping the man get back on his feet.
Jesus ends the story by asking, "So which of these three was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" The lawyer, being an intelligent man, whose training had been the proverbial "straining out a gnat", now had to acknowledge the camel he had heretofore swallowed (Matthew 23:24). With a simple story, Jesus had given him a broad picture of the intent of this second great commandment. So the lawyer answers, "He who showed mercy on him."
It was the Samaritan, loathed by the Jews as heretics and religious frauds, who forgot all the antagonisms and abuses against him and showed mercy, kindness, and care—love—to the wounded Jew lying helpless by the side of the road. Only he displayed the love of neighbor that God expects of His people.
Jesus' instruction for the lawyer—and us today—is, "Go and do likewise."
Spiritually, this has been done for us. We, like this Jew in the ditch, were wounded unto death, left to waste away. The world passed us by, even those closest to us and those who claimed to be God's representatives, never giving us the help we needed. Then God, despised by this world, walked by and tended to us, paying for our care. He paid the ultimate price, giving His only begotten Son to save us and the whole world (John 3:16-17). We could say that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the pouring of wine and oil to disinfect and heal those wounded by sin. It enables sinners from every stratum of society, upon belief and repentance, to be justified, to pursue sanctification, and ultimately, to be glorified.
So we see that God the Father and Jesus Christ are the perfect examples, the embodiments, of what it is to be a neighbor. The psalmist writes of God, "The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 147:2-3). Jesus' mission was not just to preach, but also "to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed" (Luke 4:18). This is how They express Their love to us.
John O. Reid
You Shall Love Your Neighbor (Part Two)