Last week, I went to see a doctor for my weeks-long coughing problem. Initially, I was not inclined to do so until it begins to impact my normal daily life. Interesting thing is my wife and I held a different opinion on my problem. She kept saying that I am having an allergy but I don’t think it is the reason. So, we let the doctor to be the judge. After a physical checkup, the doctor prescribed cough-suppressing medication and antibiotics for my case.  His explanation is a persistent coughing could damage small tubes inside my lung and left blockages there. And, the original cause of the coughing could be either viral or bacterial. He told me that I need to go back to his office if my symptom does not improve. It looks like he is trying to cover all the bases.

Sometimes, I am wondering how many of us are listening to doctor’s prognosis and taking his prescribed medication seriously? I know once a while I may opt to stop my medication when I feel fine already. The other times, however, I did follow the prescription faithfully. This brings up a fundamental question, “Do we really know our own physical condition?”  From my observation, in some cases, we may “perceive” that we are fine but in reality it is not. On the other cases, we may recognize that we do have a problem but we don’t want to see a doctor because we are either lazy or stubborn. In conclusion, we don’t know our physical condition truly.

Another related question is “Do doctors in this world really know your physical condition?” I don’t think so, either. My observation is they have their own limitations too – based on limited information they can gather and diagnostic tools they can use, they make their best prognosis of our surfaced symptom. Therefore, the prescribed medication may or may not cure our illness.

These can be applied to our spiritual realm too. In the Gospel Mark, it records one of Jesus’ responses to the Pharisees and teachers of laws’ criticism. Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. 康健的人用不著醫生、有病的人纔用得著．我來本不是召義人、乃是召罪人(Mark 2:17)”  Jesus indicated that the Pharisees are the ones who do not know their status and condition. Because, they are no different from anyone else from His eye – they are all sinners. If we ponder a little bit we may find that on one hand, they perceive that they are fine – the righteous – so they don’t need a doctor. On the other hand, their stubbornness in tradition and letter of laws prevents them from seeking the true doctor, Jesus Christ.

In our life journey, we may or may not seek doctors’ help in alleviate or cure our physical illness unless we learn the first imperative: we know our physical condition is either sick or healthy. Without knowing or recognizing our problem, we won’t be seeking for help for sure. On the same token, when we don’t know our spiritual condition well, we may assume that we are OK and this is exactly what the devil wants us to believe. He is working diligently to put a blind-fold on us to prevent us from recognizing our spiritual illness. Apostle Paul indicated to us that “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God 因為世人都犯了罪，虧缺了神的榮耀 (Romans 3:23)”. Consequently, my dear friends, we are all having spiritual sickness and there is NO exception. We all need a true doctor to cure our sickness and he is Jesus Christ. He knows us inside out because He created us. He cures us because He loves us. May you realize the existence of spiritual sickness and seek for His help!