Thursday, February 15, 2007
Luke 5:31-32 "Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
DO YOU NEED A PHYSICIAN?
Once again, the Pharisees were quick to find fault with Jesus and His disciples. This time it was because they were eating with Matthew and other tax collectors. Obviously the Pharisees considered themselves to be above such associations. Tax collectors were among the lowest of the low, and in the Pharisees' estimation they didn't deserve to be given the time of day -- and they couldn't see how Jesus could be spending any time with them at all, not to mention calling one of their number to be one of His twelve disciples!
Jesus' answer was, as usual, gracious and pointed. He had come to bring healing to those who were sick; to bring the healing words of forgiveness to those who were sick and doomed to death in their sins. And as that was His work, He of necessity spent time with those who were sick, giving them of the healing power found in His Word.
Unfortunately, the Pharisees thought of themselves as above all that. They didn't see that they too were in need of Jesus' spiritual healing, that they were also by nature lost in trespasses and sins. No, they saw themselves as being good in God's sight -- as the Pharisee in Jesus' parable spoke, "God, I thank You that I am not like others are."
How about you? How sick are you? Do you need the type of physician that Jesus is?
The devil regularly tempts us to waste precious time comparing ourselves with others -- and of course coming out better than them every time. He would love to have us come to the conclusion that we are not in need of a Physician -- that we are just fine on our own, thank you very much.
May our Savior God continue to work in our hearts through Law and Gospel so that we may both see our sin, but more importantly, also see our Savior in Jesus Christ!
