Wounded Healers
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
In our previous message we shared with you the significance of the three anointings of Jesus, all by women. Now we want to share a related word, which is one of the best examples of what Jesus said in Matthew 25:40,
"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
I believe hundreds of thousands of Christians need to hear this word. Let us look at some verses in Jeremiah 38, verses 1-13.
1 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,2 Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.3 Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.4 Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;8 Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying,9 My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.11 So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.12 And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
These verses are an example of the contrast between the natural, carnal, logical thinking of any man or group of men (Christian or otherwise) and the Word of the Lord. The first six verses, above, represent the rule of man; the next seven verses represent the rule of God. This also demonstrates what can happen when the leadership of God's chosen people goes astray.
Zedekiah was the last king of Judah before its fall to the Babylonians. Zedekiah lacked vision and resolution and is classified among the evil kings. Although he was king, it was in name only (Verse 5); he had positional authority but was too weak-willed to have spiritual authority. The lack of character of Zedekiah is also seen in Verse 19: "And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me."
What we see here is perhaps the most tender, compassionate account of any event in the entire Old Testament. "Ebed-melech" means "servant of the king." The name "Ebedmelech," is assigned to only one man in the Bible. He was not only a servant of King Zedekiah; he was, more importantly, a servant of the true living God, the King of kings. He was an Ethiopian eunuch in the palace of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity under Nebuchadnezzar, about 588 B.C. As an Ethiopian, Ebed-melech was raised as a heathen, undoubtedly dark-skinned, and one of a despicable type at that time. According to "All the Men of the Bible," "The Eastern eunuchs were a pitilessly cruel race, whose delight was to wound and vex. No clan had a worse reputation for cruelty."
Let us consider this man. As an Ethiopian, he was rejected by his own people and sold into slavery. There is NO action worse than to be rejected by your own. There is nothing more difficult to overcome than to have been rejected by your own. My wife knows that from firsthand experience. She was rejected (disinherited) by her father because she had become a Christian and suffered a lack of aid and compassion from a brother who had power to assist. Her rightful inheritance would have been about $500,000, but she never received one penny from his estate. The greatest suffering that Jesus endured was when He became sin on the cross and sin was crucified. At that point in time, Jesus experienced a separation from the Father. Jesus said, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
One thing that Africans have a very difficult time reconciling is that it was Africans who sold Africans into slavery. That is what happened to Ebed-melech. Sometime in the past he was sold by his own into slavery and hauled 2000 miles north to the king's house in Jerusalem. There were no cars or trains or planes in that day, so the journey must have taken at least three months. He must have been a fine specimen of a man in the natural realm. We will never know (on earth) all of the indignities that he suffered. He had probably been locked in a cage for the long trip, with insufficient food and water. He was wounded as much as the Ethiopians had wounded others. Somewhere along the way they tied him down like a wild animal and castrated him ... robbed him of his manhood ... they robbed him! He could never have a natural family of children. Further, according to the law given through Moses,
One thing that Africans have a very difficult time reconciling is that it was Africans who sold Africans into slavery. That is what happened to Ebed-melech. Sometime in the past he was sold by his own into slavery and hauled 2000 miles north to the king's house in Jerusalem. There were no cars or trains or planes in that day, so the journey must have taken at least three months. He must have been a fine specimen of a man in the natural realm. We will never know (on earth) all of the indignities that he suffered. He had probably been locked in a cage for the long trip, with insufficient food and water. He was wounded as much as the Ethiopians had wounded others. Somewhere along the way they tied him down like a wild animal and castrated him ... robbed him of his manhood ... they robbed him! He could never have a natural family of children. Further, according to the law given through Moses,
"He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD." Deuteronomy 23:1
They forced him into becoming a eunuch to serve in the king's palace. But as we will see, Ebed-melech did NOT let his past define him.
In terms of power and position, Ebedmelech had little going for him. He was an example of the weak of the world (1 Corinthians 1:26-27) who are chosen by God to confound the mighty; he became a fit representative of the people of God, whose "citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20). A great irony is the fact that he was more a man than his master the king, who, by his birth and position, represents those having a vested interest in "this present evil world" (Galatians 1:4). Zedekiah in fear fled responsibility first and, in the natural course of things, his enemies later. Years before Zedekiah's acts of cowardice, God called Ebedmelech to do a work for Him. Unlike Zedekiah, who became paralyzed by fear, Ebedmelech overcame his fear, set aside his humiliation, and discounted his disenfranchisement ... all to the effect that he boldly approached the king, reproached his princes, and risked his life in an act of mercy on behalf of God's prophet.
In terms of power and position, Ebedmelech had little going for him. He was an example of the weak of the world (1 Corinthians 1:26-27) who are chosen by God to confound the mighty; he became a fit representative of the people of God, whose "citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20). A great irony is the fact that he was more a man than his master the king, who, by his birth and position, represents those having a vested interest in "this present evil world" (Galatians 1:4). Zedekiah in fear fled responsibility first and, in the natural course of things, his enemies later. Years before Zedekiah's acts of cowardice, God called Ebedmelech to do a work for Him. Unlike Zedekiah, who became paralyzed by fear, Ebedmelech overcame his fear, set aside his humiliation, and discounted his disenfranchisement ... all to the effect that he boldly approached the king, reproached his princes, and risked his life in an act of mercy on behalf of God's prophet.
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Jeremiah 13:23
The implied answer to that question is NO. The Ethiopian cannot change his skin, or the leopard his spots. But the Lord can do those things and much more. The fact that Ebedmelech was an Ethiopian means that he was a heathen and one of a despicable type at that time period.
The Ethiopian eunuchs were a cruel race, whose delight was to wound others. No clan had a worse reputation for cruelty, but Ebedmelech was different, or rather had been made different by the Lord. He was a triumph of grace in the clan to which he belonged. He had a transformed moral character. He was as kind, tender, and compassionate as the rest of his clan were cruel. Scripture offers no record of when and how the Lord changed the heart of Ebed-melech.
Returning to Jeremiah 38:9, "My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city."
Ebed-melech heard the cry of the prophet Jeremiah in the dungeon. He could have said, "I have suffered, let Jeremiah suffer." He could have said, "Let Jeremiah die in the dungeon; he deserves it; what goes around comes around." He could have said, "I am very comfortable here in the king's palace; why should I get involved?" However, Ebedmelech received from the Lord a quality thought; he decided to petition the king on behalf of Jeremiah. That is called intercession; to petition the King is intercession. He decided to do for Jeremiah that which Jeremiah could not do for himself. He determined to do all that he could to rescue Jeremiah.
Even though Ebedmelech had been wounded like few men have been wounded, he made a quality decision ... he interceded on behalf of Jeremiah. Wounded? yes, but he became a wounded healer. He had no thought for himself; he set out to rescue the Lord's prophet.
Even though Ebedmelech had been wounded like few men have been wounded, he made a quality decision ... he interceded on behalf of Jeremiah. Wounded? yes, but he became a wounded healer. He had no thought for himself; he set out to rescue the Lord's prophet.
Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these, ye have done it unto Me.
Verse 10, "Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die." Zedekiah also made a quality decision. He told Ebed-melech, "Don't try to rescue Jeremiah by yourself; take thirty men with you." Christians with good intentions sometimes kill the person they are trying to rescue. The friends of Job had good intentions, but they were missing some important characteristics; they did not understand the ways of the Lord. Sometimes we believers can get a lot of zeal to "deliver" a brother so we run off by ourselves to do a glorious work for the Lord. And sometimes we do more harm than good. Further, if we do something alone, there is a tendency to get "puffed up" about our good work. Of course in Ebedmelech's case, the 30 men were for protection in the event that the princes tried to stop him.
Verses 11 and 12: "So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so."
Ebedmelech took Zedekiah's advice. He made another quality decision ... he also used wisdom. He did not simply lower a rope down to Jeremiah to pull him up because he knew that the rope alone would cut Jeremiah's armpits. So he also lowered old cast clouts and rotten rags to soften the bite of the rope under Jeremiah's armholes ... the Lord's tender provision for us.
Then, in Verse 13, "they" (not he) drew up Jeremiah out of the mire in the dungeon and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison."
Now if all we receive from the account of Ebedmelech is a nice, historical story, then we miss the point. Today there are many believers who have been wounded ... some have been born with physical handicaps which have lasted their lifetime; some have been born almost blind, others born with cerebral palsy, many good men have developed prostrate cancer, and various other maladies. Others have been wounded emotionally or spiritually in various and sundry ways. A few have been spoken evil of by other brothers. A number of good men over the years have been put on trial by the charismatic/Spirit-filled Sanhedrins of their time.
Ebedmelech was wounded by other men ... yes ... but he overcame his wounds and became a wounded healer. We, you and I, may likewise have been wounded in the past; but all the more reason for us to make a quality decision to become, like Ebedmelech, a wounded healer. Ebedmelech did for Jeremiah that which Jeremiah could not do for himself. He interceded before the king. We likewise can intercede before the King of kings for those believers who cannot help themselves.
Ebed-melech demonstrated zeal, wisdom, and compassion. If Ebed-melech had simply let down cords or ropes with which to pull up Jeremiah, the cords would have cut Jeremiah's armpits. Instead, Ebed-melech took old cast clouts and old rotten rags and let them down to Jeremiah. He told Jeremiah to put the soft, rotten rags against his armpits, under the cords, so the cords would not cut Jeremiah's flesh when he was pulled up out of the dungeon. In order to rescue a brother, you not only need zeal, you need wisdom; and you not only need wisdom, you need compassion. Ebed-melech was a wounded healer. There is NO record in scripture that Ebed-melech ever complained about all of his sufferings. Instead, he refused to allow his past to define him; he set aside all of his past and he made a DECISION to rescue Jeremiah.
What happened to Ebed-melech as a result of his compassionate deliverance of Jeremiah? God rewarded Ebed-melech with survival of the Chaldean invasion (Jeremiah 39:17-18). He received a prophet's reward (Matthew 10:41-42).
15 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,16 Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in Me, saith the Lord. Jeremiah 39:15-18
Joseph is another example of a wounded healer. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers ... rejected by his own. Joseph likewise suffered many indignities. He labored as a slave in Egypt but was faithful in every hard place. He refused to yield to sexual temptation, was falsely accused by his master's wife, and thrown into prison. There is NO record that Joseph ever tried to defend himself before Pharaoh; Joseph recognized the sovereignty of God. Joseph, like Ebed-melech, COULD have become very bitter over his circumstances and his unjust suffering. But Joseph likewise made a quality decision; he decided to trust the Lord in ALL things! Joseph knew how to return good for evil. When his brothers came to Egypt for food, Joseph could have gotten revenge for what they had done to him years earlier. The same will be true for the Joseph company in these end times. The Lord is working such a tenderness and compassion into the Joseph company that they will love the very ones who in times past persecuted them.
The Apostle Paul was another example of a wounded healer. At least three different times Paul calls himself a servant, a slave, a bond-servant [doulos] of the Lord Jesus Christ.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 2 Corinthians 11:23-31
Now, let us consider the ultimate wounded healer, Jesus Christ. No man ever suffered as did Jesus. Jesus was also betrayed by His own. We all know that Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Many of His disciples forsook Him (John 6:66) when He spoke about spiritual things. Just before Jesus was crucified, "they ALL forsook Him and fled" (Mark 14:50). Scripture says that Jesus was wounded for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5); he was wounded!
4 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not his mouth.8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken.9 And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.11 He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.12 Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:4-12
All four gospels express the weight of going to the cross upon our Lord, but His overriding desire was to do the will of the Father.
And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt. Matthew 26:39
Anytime, you feel some self-pity rising up within, go back and read Hebrews 12 again.
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 For consider Him that endureth such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not?8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Hebrews 12:2-8
We know that Jesus walked on the earth for forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3). Like Ebed-melech, like Joseph, and like Paul, there is NO record that Jesus, during those forty days, ever spoke about all of the suffering that he endured. Likewise, Jesus has never spoken from heaven about His wounds or His sufferings! Jesus, the ultimate wounded healer, NEVER spoke about his wounds. Wounded? Yes; but a wounded Healer! NOT ONCE did Jesus ever mention what happened to Him at Calvary!
No man ever suffered as did the Man, Jesus. Despite all of His wounds, Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us, the true believers. As soon as the 7,000 that we do not know about identify with His intercession and will weep between the porch and the altar on behalf of the Body of Christ (Joel 2:17), what will happen? The Lord will return. Even so, come Lord Jesus come.
Now, YOU and I also are called to be a wounded healer! It must be the same with us. Too many Christians ask for prayer for the same thing every week. There are too many Christians who go from one counsellor's pad to another ... from one pastor to another ... always whining and complaining .. always looking for pity and/or prayer. It is time for Christians to stop their complaining, get their thumb out of their mouth, stop running from church to church, from pastor to pastor, looking for help (sympathy, or pity) for their wounds. Instead it is time for Christians everywhere to stop being the wounded, put the past behind us, do not let the past define us, and to become "wounded healers."
You may say, but brother you don't know all of the things which I have suffered ... you don't know how people have rejected me and treated me badly. You don't know about all of my wounds. You don't know about how I lost my job, or got sick, or how my business went under. You don't know that I was a victim of incest or rape; you don't know that my wife ran away with another man; you don't know how some Christian brethren have persecuted me. That is true. I do NOT know about your particular sufferings. But God does know! And there is POWER in the Name of the Lord! There is POWER in the blood of Jesus! There is POWER in the Holy Spirit! By the grace of God YOU can lay aside all of your wounds and sufferings; you can REFUSE to allow your past to define you; you do NOT have to be forever the wounded; you too can be a wounded healer. It does NOT take some special dispensation! It does NOT take some special gift or ministry! All that is required for us to lay aside all of our wounds and sufferings is a quality decision on OUR part! It is simply an act of our will. We can simply choose to stop being the wounded and become a wounded healer. Only YOU and I can decide whether we will be forever the wounded, or by the grace of God, a wounded healer! May the Lord be glorified.
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