To Heal the Broken-Hearted
A Sermon on Healing the Broken Hearted from Luke 4:18
Originally preached Jan. 22, 1956
Scripture
18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Sermon Description
In this sermon on healing the broken hearted from Luke 4:18, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses the disease in humankind—sin. This disease has many symptoms, and there are numerous manifestations of sin. “Do you regard this gospel as the greatest good news you have ever heard?” One must know they are sick if they are going to be healed. “Sin is something that leads to a broken-hearted condition.” Christ’s coming does judge, but He did not come only to judge. He brought salvation and healing. How does Christ heal and what does salvation contain? Listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims the word of the ultimate physician. Christ came because humanity was a failure. Christ came not only to offer comfort, but to cure people of the disease of sin and reconcile His people to God. “You are not healed by Christ if you are not rejoicing.” This perfect and complete work turns ashes into beauty and the listener is encouraged to not rest until they are clothed with the pure white garments of Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- Sin leads to failure, shame, despair, and mourning.
- The "brokenhearted" refers to those aware of their sin and failure.
- Only those aware of their need will accept and benefit from Christ's message.
- Christ came to heal the brokenhearted, not condemn them.
- Christ heals through his loving presence, comfort, and the Gospel.
- The Gospel reconciles us to God, gives new life and hope, and enables righteousness.
- True healing leads to joy, praise, and triumph in Christ.
Sermon Q&A
What Was the Purpose of Christ's Ministry According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones say is the main purpose of Christ's ministry?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christ's main purpose was to deal with the problem of sin. The sermon focuses on Jesus' declaration in Luke 4:18, where Christ states: "He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted." Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ came "in order to deal with this whole problem of sin" which manifests itself in many different ways, like poverty of spirit and brokenness of heart.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define being "broken hearted"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines being "broken hearted" as a condition characterized by: 1. Failure - where sin has turned life into ruins, like "waste cities" and "desolations" 2. Shame - a deep consciousness of one's failures 3. Despair - realizing that despite many attempts to change, one keeps failing 4. Mourning - intense misery and wretchedness, described as sitting "in dust and ashes with sackcloth upon your skin"
Why do some people reject Christ's message according to the sermon?
According to Lloyd-Jones, people reject Christ's message because "they don't realize their need of him. They are not aware of their condition apart from him. In other words, they've never understood what is meant by the word sin." He compares it to someone who is desperately ill welcoming a doctor - only those who recognize their spiritual sickness will welcome Christ as the healer.
How does Christ heal the broken hearted according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes Christ's healing method in several steps: 1. He doesn't come to condemn but to heal 2. He doesn't merely exhort people to live better lives or imitate Him 3. He heals by "being what He is" - sympathetic and understanding 4. He provides comfort ("oil") 5. He deals with the disease itself ("wine") by bearing our sins on the cross 6. He reconciles us to God and gives us a new nature and new life 7. He transforms us from mourning to joy - "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning"
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the evidence of true healing?
The evidence of true healing, according to Lloyd-Jones, is joy and rejoicing: "You are not healed by Christ unless you are rejoicing. It's an absolute test." He explains that if someone is still mourning, sad, doubtful, and hesitant after claiming to believe in Christ, something is wrong with their healing. True healing results in "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.