Christianity
Matthew
“But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”
← All parallels
ParallelsA comparative study
ChristianityJudaismIslam
On The Healer
The motif of divine healing appears across Abrahamic traditions, where God or the Prophet acts as the ultimate source of restoration. Christianity emphasizes the agency of faith and the name of Jesus in effecting cures, while Islam frames illness as a state from which God alone provides the remedy, often without human intermediation. Judaism focuses on the covenantal promise of health contingent upon obedience to divine law. Scholars debate whether these narratives reflect historical medical practices or serve primarily as theological metaphors for spiritual wholeness.
What every account tells.
- iDivine authority is the ultimate source of physical and spiritual restoration.
- iiHuman agency (faith or obedience) is often a condition for receiving healing.
- iiiIllness is portrayed as a state of brokenness requiring divine intervention.
- ivThe healer is identified with the name or presence of the Deity.
How each tradition tells it.
Christianity
Healing is frequently mediated through the person of Jesus and the invocation of his name, linking physical cure to soteriological faith. The physician metaphor is explicitly applied to Jesus's mission to the spiritually sick.
Judaism
Healing is presented as a direct covenantal reward for adherence to the Law, with God explicitly identifying as 'the Lord who heals you.' The focus remains on the collective nation's fidelity rather than individual miraculous intervention.
Islam
The Prophet acknowledges his own need for healing, emphasizing God's exclusive role as 'the Healer' (al-Shafi). This contrasts with Christian narratives where the Prophet acts as the agent of healing, reinforcing strict monotheistic dependence.
Read the passages as one.
Christianity
Mark
“And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”
Judaism
Exodus
“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”
Judaism
Psalms
“Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;”
Islam
Surah 26: Ash-Shu'ara (The Poets)
وَإِذَا مَرِضۡتُ فَهُوَ يَشۡفِينِ
“And when I am ill, it is He who cures me”