Satan, You Can’t Rule My EmotionsSample

What Causes Emotional Wounds?

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow].” —Psalm 147:3

The Old Testament teaches that one reason Jesus came to earth was to heal the brokenhearted and to bind up their wounds.

Thousands of years later, Scripture records the moment Jesus repeated the prophecy of His mission—to set the oppressed and afflicted free.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy).” —Luke 4:18

Praise God! When Luke’s Gospel explains the reason for Jesus’ coming, it points to His fulfillment of the prophets’ predictions. Throughout His life and even now, Jesus has reached out to those burdened by sorrows and emotional struggles they cannot face on their own. In today’s fast-paced world, His love and compassion are more relevant than ever, as people desperately need Jesus. He alone has the power to forgive sins, heal broken hearts, and restore wounded and afflicted spirits in a way no one else can.

In Luke 10:30–35, we find the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man was walking from Jerusalem to Jericho only to be assaulted by thieves who robbed him, beat him, and left him for dead. Sometime later, a priest walked by and saw the man lying there helplessly. He didn’t want to get involved or even get close to the injured man. So, he crossed the street and went on his way. Later, a religious man came by, and he also had no time to help the injured man. So, he crossed the street and left the man for dead.

Finally, a Samaritan walked by and saw the man, who he knew was a Jew. In first-century Israel, tremendous racial strife existed between Jews and Samaritans. But the Samaritan’s heart went out to the man, and he refused to leave him there to die. So, the Samaritan picked the man up and put him on his own donkey. He cleansed the man’s wounds and took him to an inn, where he paid the owner to care for the man. By his kind actions, the Samaritan had a lasting effect on the wounded man’s life—for without the Samaritan’s help, he would have died.

This parable tells of a healing work. It was a onetime work, but it lasted a lifetime. Jesus forgave many who in turn served Him for a lifetime. They were able to receive inner healing and realize their human worth when they saw themselves through His eyes of love and compassion.

Healing hurts, oppression, and emotional wounds is still one of the most important and needed ministries today. Although inner wounds are not usually visible like physical wounds, it is just as important to heal emotional wounds and oppression since doing so deals with the unseen depths of a person’s heart.

Jesus was anointed to heal the brokenhearted. Today, He has commissioned His followers to do the same healing work in His name.