When illness strikes, we find ourselves in the doctor’s court room and we are the expert witness. In the interrogation, we present all the information we have on what we know better than anyone else: how we feel, where it hurts, what has changed in our health, and so on… and so on… and on… and on. John Donne captured the image in the following sentence from his journal.
“Arraigned in these fetters, I have presented my evidence, as if dissecting my own anatomy for a court trial, now the doctors deliberate on my fate” (A Companion Crises: A Modern Paraphrase of John Donne’s Devotions by Philip Yancey).
The humor — or horror — whichever it is, cannot be missed. The irony of it is in the question, “Who is the expert in this little story of life?” The doctor? The patient? Somebody else?
In the incident that took place one day in Jesus’ life, a woman approached him and touched the hymn of his garment believing she would be healed (Mark 5:25f). She was! The interview followed and all the questions asked were answered and all the evidence was presented. When the trial was over, it was confirmed and the truth was clear to the jury. There are many experts that influence the way our days play out; but in the end, the expert of experts is the one who has our fate in his hands. His name is Jesus.
By W. Stephen Williams © August 31, 2022