Luke 5:31 And Jesus answering said to them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. The gospel is not meant for the salvation of men who are so good that they hardly seem to need it, but for men that are bad — for the very worst of men. Admit all that can be said of the badness of the Chinese; admit the blackest portrait that can be correctly painted of them; admit that they are as bad as men can be out of hell — if I understand the matter rightly, you only make out a stronger case for sending them the gospel of Christ. There is a story told of a vendor of quack medicine, who sent out an advertisement to one of the Australian newspapers, and after enumerating all the diseases of which he could think, he added, "If there be any disease peculiar to the colony, put that in, for my medicine will cure that too." A statement that was not true of the quack medicine we can apply to the gospel of Christ. If there be any wickedness peculiar to the Chinese; if they are the worst specimens of humanity; if human depravity has assumed a type there which it does not present in any other part of the world, put all these in, for the gospel will cure them too. It is a remedy for all diseases, even the worst. (W. Landels.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.WEB: Jesus answered them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. |
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