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.