Call the Doctor

"And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.
"And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
"When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, 'They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.'" – Mark 2:15-17

Recently my eleven-year-old dachshund got sick. She lost energy and ate very little. Thinking it was a stomach bug, I debated whether to try to treat her myself or take her to the veterinarian. Due to her age, I opted to do the vet visit. That was the right decision, because she was very ill and required some strong medication to recover. If I had not sought help from a medical professional, she may not have survived the illness.

The famous salesman and motivational speaker, Zig Zigler, once said, "The first step to solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist." If I hadn’t recognized that my dog needed help, I wouldn’t have found a solution.

In the four Gospels, we see that the Pharisees and Sadducees were the chief antagonists of Jesus. In Matthew 23:16, He calls the Pharisees ‘blind guides,’ as they were blind to their own spiritual condition. They believed that acceptance with God was based on strict Torah study and observance. When Jesus associated with publicans and sinners, the Jewish religious leaders failed to understand such behavior from someone who claimed to be from God. When they questioned the disciples about it, Jesus responded.

The healthy have no need of a physician. The sick must realize they are sick to appreciate a physician. To avail themselves of the benefit of the physician’s skills, they must have faith in him. Having faith leads to doing as he directs.

Jesus took the initiative and called people to Him. He ate with the sinners that recognized their sin. Unfortunately, the Pharisees were convinced they were not sick and missed the opportunity to reconcile with God.

In his commentary Mark, Dr. R.C. Sproul commented on the irony of this passage: "The scribes were the sickest of the sick, all the while thinking they had no need of a physician.” To be saved from sin, we must overcome our own spiritual blindness. As long as we don’t believe we are sinners, we can’t receive the cure. To move closer to God, we must confess how far away we are from Him.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for opening my eyes to the sickness of sin in my life and providing the cure.

Roll Call

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”—1 John 5:13

When I was a child, the music was my favorite part of a worship service. Even the slow tempo songs gave me the opportunity to exercise my lungs before my mom would admonish me to sit still and keep quiet during the pastor’s sermon. We sang from our hymnals and the music leader would throw a lively tune in occasionally to brighten the countenance of the congregation.

The words of those hymns, which were sermons themselves, never caught my attention until I realized my need for salvation. Now I marvel at the inspiration God gave each of the men and women to compose these precious songs.

Because I love to sing, the Lord blesses me with different songs that come to mind throughout the day. Recently, one of my favorite, “happy” hymns has been running through my mind. When the Roll is Called Up Yonder, written by James M. Black.

Mr. Black was educated in singing and organ playing. He was a youth leader, taught Sunday School, taught music as a song leader, and edited hymnals in his spare time.

Because he loved young people so much, he would always try to lead them to Christ. One day he met a ragged fourteen-year-old girl and convinced her to come to Sunday School. On one occasion, when he was making the roll call before the lesson, she didn’t answer when he called her name. Her absence made him think how sad it would be to be absent when our names were called from the Lamb’s Book of Life.

In 1 John, the Apostle John seems to assume that the reader is familiar with the gospel. In chapter 5, he summarizes how Christians can be sure they have eternal life. As we read the Word today, we also can have assurance. The key measurement of a true relationship with Jesus Christ is love. Love for God, but also for others.

Let us rest in the confidence that through the power of Christ we have the ability to overcome the world. Because of Him, we won’t miss roll call in heaven.

Dear Lord,
     Thank You for giving me assurance of eternal life through Your Word.