Readings for today: Matthew 8:1-4, 9:1-17, 12:1-21, Mark 1:40-45, 2:1-3:21, Luke 5:12-6:19
“Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous but sinners.” (Matt. 9:12-13)
This is what I love most about Jesus. He absolutely loves sinners. He loves the lost. He loves the wandering. He loves the confused. He loves the doubter. He loves the questioner. He loves the hurting. He loves the broken. He loves the oppressed. He loves the enslaved. He loves the imprisoned. He loves all those who find themselves struggling with unbelief. He not only loves them but He comes to be with them. He comes to heal them. He comes to rescue them. He comes to deliver them. He comes to set them free. He comes to reclaim them. He comes to redeem them. He will never rest until He chases down every single person who is lost and brings them home again. This is His heart and we see it on full display in today’s reading.
Jesus is the Great Physician. He has come to heal the great sickness infecting all of humanity. He knows sin is more than what we do or say or think. It is a disease that corrupts all it touches. A pervasive power at work inside us, poisoning our very souls. It is a terminal illness we cannot escape. A pandemic for which we have no effective treatment. Thankfully, Jesus sees our helpless condition. Jesus knows the hopeless condition into which we are born. And He alone has the power to heal us. Even more importantly, Jesus wants to heal us. It is the great desire of His heart. It is the fundamental reason behind why He came.
Can you imagine what might happen if the followers of Jesus became known more for mercy rather than right sacrifice? Known more for love of sinners rather than condemnation? Known more for compassion towards those who are lost and wandering, doubting and deconstructing than judgment?This is Jesus’ call to us today. As we go about our daily lives, we meet all kinds of people. Lepers, paralytics, tax collectors, sinners, Sabbath-keepers and Sabbath-breakers, Pharisees, scribes, men and women with withered hands and withered souls. How do we respond to them? Do we treat them with the dignity and love they deserve as human beings made in the image of God? Do we have compassion on their helpless and hopeless estate? Are we willing to extend grace and mercy and embrace them as Jesus did? Pray for God to open your eyes to truly see the spiritual condition of those around you. Pray for God to fill your heart with His love and compassion so you might minister to their deepest needs. Pray for opportunities to introduce them to the Great Physician who longs to heal them and make them whole.
Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 5-7, Luke 6:20-49, 11:1-13