Daily Devotion

“The object with which these pages have been written is to show that a medical missionary's work in a heathen land has a powerful influence in affecting the minds of the people among whom he may labour, and that such work is very valuable in giving facilities for the more direct preaching of the Gospel.”

William Lockhart · The Medical Missionary in China: A Narrative of Twenty Years' Experience (1861), Preface

Scripture

Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in every synagogue and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Reflection

Jesus' ministry was holistic care: it included both the teaching of truth and physical healing. Lockhart inherited this tradition, knowing that a physician's service can powerfully affect people's minds and open the way for the more direct preaching of the Gospel. This reminds us that the transmission of the gospel today should not remain merely on the lips, but should be grounded in concrete service to others. When we touch society's wounds with altruism, the doors of hearts closed by misunderstanding will be illuminated by the light of truth.