Daily PresenceSample

Jeremiah refers to the balm of Gilead in chapter 8 from today’s passage, questioning,” Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” Understanding the allusion to balm in this context enriches our understanding of the metaphor. Let’s take a look.

An article by Christianity.com contributor Hope Bolinger answers the question, “What is the Balm of Gilead?” A balm in ancient times, Bollinger explains, was a medicinal salve with healing properties The balm of Gilead was produced from a species of Poplar tree that grew in the region of Gilead. The balm had been around for centuries before Jeremiah, as we see the balm mentioned in Genesis 37:25 as part of the cargo in a caravan on its way to Egypt.

In Jeremiah 8, the symbolism is unmistakable. Jeremiah is broken over the chronic, incurable disease of sin that had overcome his rebellious people. He asks, “Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?” (8:22).

The short answer to that question, of course, is plain. The balm of Gilead would do no good for Israel because the balm only worked on physical wounds. The Israelites’ wounds were spiritual, the consequence of sin, so they were beyond the help of any superficial remedy. They were, in fact, a people whose actions had destined them for destruction and exile.

What’s the application of Jeremiah’s metaphor for us? I recall an amusing illustration that an evangelist used in a sermon many years ago that seems appropriate. In a fiery exhortation, the preacher set forth the matter: “You have a pill for this, and got a pill for that; then you take another pill for something else, one pill after the other. But you never get better. Friend, you don’t need another pill! What you need is a dose of the gods-pill!”

The humor of the wordplay aside, we recognize that Jesus is our “dose of the gods-pill,” our healing balm, our Great Physician. We are grateful for the grace of Calvary that applied a healing balm to our soul’s desperate illness.

As a result, we can answer Jeremiah’s questions from today’s lesson with hope. Yes, there IS a balm in Gilead. Yes, there IS a physician here.. His name is Jesus.