DOCTORS, I AM GRATEFUL TO YOU! DOCTORS, MAY I PREACH TO YOU?

Duke Jeyaraj

I am grateful to God for doctors. Over a dozen of my class-mates in Ida Scudder School (Vellore) became doctors! But I did not. I dropped the subject biology in grade 11 as I was afraid of dissecting frogs! There are some doctors I am particularly grateful to God for! Dr. Chandrasingh – when I was reeling in kidney stone pain, he came to the rescue! Dr. Sarat Chandra – he gave me world-class free consultation whenever I have wanted it. Ditto. Dr. Prakash Balasubramanium. Dr. B. S. Krishnan was among the first to predict that I will do fulltime ministry. Dr. Solomon Satish Kumar has teamed up with me in ministry playing the piano! He remains an amazing friend. Dr. Sheela Ram and Dr. Ram has been ever-available for my family’s medical needs and emergencies, for the longest period of time (over a decade). Dr. Shiny and Dr. Asheesh are a sweet, sharp, doctor couple, who are just a WhatsApp message away! God used Dr. Elan and Dr. Shirley to put me on some August stages to proclaim the Word of God. Dr. Murali Potharlanka – during one conference I preached in – doubled up to man my book stall (such a humble doctor!). Dr. Cheruba Prabakar looks for ways to encourage my work for the Lord! Ditto, Dr. Sneha Kirubakaran. Dr. Raj Peter, Dr. Christy Pradeep Raj Dasari, and many others given me the opportunity to speak to the medicos of many different medical colleges! Dr. Alice Sujatha Livson warmly invited me with my family to witness the breath-taking beauty of Bissam-Cuttack, Odisha, where she serves the poor till date! Dr. Venmathi Adityan – her super skills when it comes to taking of my teeth, my son’s teeth, is unmatched. Dr. Sushmita Joel wonderfully cared for my wife as she got ready to preach to young people this January (2020). Well, I am sure I left out some names of doctors – the EU fellowship doctors of Ludhiana who invited me to preach to them in 2019 is just one group of this lot – who have impacted me! But I am sure you can see my heart – I am absolutely grateful from my heart to God for the gift called doctors!

What shall I do in response for all the doctors who have been such a blessing to me? I will do what I have been doing from the age of 16 – do a Bible Straight Talk to them (to all doctors in the world who will read this). Well, doctors! I tell you the truth from the Bible, because I love you! Would you be kind to give me a hearing without wearing any spectacles of prejudice?

THE SAVED DOCTOR!

In 2 Chronicles 16:12 we read this: “In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but sought help from physicians” (ESV). Just as there are patients who do not seek the LORD but only seek help from physicians (doctors), there are doctors who are stubborn in gleaning knowledge/life purpose only from science without acknowledging the obvious presence of the living God! Dear doctor friend, I appeal to you to consider the claims of Christ, the proofs he has given for his uniqueness and to give your life to him! In Mathew 9:12 we read this: But when he heard it, Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (ESV). Jesus said that only the sick need doctors! He implied all of us are sick with sin – including those of us who are medical doctors! And all of us have to repent from sin and turn to him for salvation, for He claimed to be the Only way!

THE SILVER-CONSCIOUS DOCTOR!

In Mark 5:26 we read this: “and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse” (ESV). The bleeding woman, it looks like, was exploited for financial gain by some crooked doctors (in Jesus’ time). Are you become a doctor, just to make a quick buck? Even if the need is great would you steadfastly refuse to serve in a backward area – even for a short period – because, you will have to compromise on comforts and cash-flow?

THE SHALLOW  DOCTOR!

In Job 13:4 we read this: “As for you, you whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you all” (ESV). Job’s friends were called ‘worthless doctors’ by him! Why? They assumed the reason why Job was sick and suffering was this: he was a wicked man. They came to this conclusion without proper diagnosis (Well you can’t come to that conclusion about anybody even after a detailed diagnosis)! Dear doctor, do you prescribe medicine without doing the hard work of proper, logical, lingering diagnosis just because you have to go home quickly and catch up on Netflix?

THE SERVING-GOD DOCTOR!

In Colossians 4:14 we read this: “Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas” (ESV). Dr. Luke was a medical doctor who joined the travelling ministry team of Apostle Paul. Dear Doctor, what will do with the one life you have? Will you still race to the United States despite having heard God’s call to you to serve in shutting-soon Christian Mission hospitals in the Northern States (of India)? Will you my doctor friend refuse to equip yourself in apologetics even though you pretty well know that you have the aptitude to pick up quickly (more quickly than the not-as-sharp non-doctors) and use it in evangelism as you work in that posh corporate hospital?

Jeremiah 8:22 reads this way:  “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?” (ESV). Today, the problem is not the non-availability of the believer doctor! The problem is this: the believer doctor is deaf to the call of God for missions which goes, “Is there no physician there?”

(Duke Jeyaraj – an engineer turned doctor of ministry grad – is the founder of  Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission. This is a reader-supported Indian ministry. Find out more at www.dukev.org. WhatsApp Duke via 91-8886040605).