Sick and Thankful for It!

 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Luke 5:27-32

For our family devotions, we are listening to a chapter of Luke each night, then reading Michael Card's (yes, the singer, he is an accomplished author as well) commentary on the gospel of Luke, then listening to the chapter again with a new perspective.  It was an awesome way to get fresh revelations on the Christmas story.  It has been a great journey so far and it has really been a boost for our family prayer times as well.  

A few nights back, we went through chapter five.  I have read this countless times before, I have even preached a few sermons on it through the years, but as the Bible so often does, with this new reading, I was overwhelmed when I re-read the story about the conversion of Matthew.  How in the world could Jesus put together this band of disciples.  How could you have Simon Peter, Simon the Zealot, and Matthew working together (Luke 6:12-16)?  That would be like putting Neut Gingrich, Barack Obama, and Ron Paul on your leadership team.  How in the world would these guys work together?  

Matthew, a tax collector, working with Simon Peter, a hard working fisherman who had to pay taxes to this guy, and Simon the Zealot, a guy who wanted to forcefully remove all Romans and those who worked with them from the land.  Talk about a strange group to bring together to try to build a kingdom with.

What struck me was not the group, or the fact that Jesus called Matthew into the group, but what jumped out at me was Matthew's response to the call.  He immediately followed Jesus, he got up and left behind his old life, then he threw a party to celebrate.  I think we need to celebrate more whenever someone enters the Kingdom and begins to follow Jesus.  Unfortunately, a group of religious guys crashed the party and got upset with Jesus for spending time with "sinners."

I love Jesus' response, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteousness, but sinners, to repentance. (Luke 5:31-32)"  Note that Jesus did not say that Matthew was not a sinner.  He did not try to defend Matthew at all.  I am sure Matthew would have admitted as much as well.  After all, when you have been forgiven and throw a party like he was, it's not hard to admit your faults.  He was celebrating his new life, I am sure he had no problem with recalling where he had come from.  Jesus wanted the "righteous" to remember what it was like to be set free from their former lives.  

I am amazed at how we so often forget what we are being rescued from. Jesus  is not just saving us from hell, he is saving us from the sickness of sin.  The sin that puts a great divide between us and the Father.  Not only that, we can easily forget that there are others who are still in the stink that, by the grace of God, has been washed off of us.  Jesus gave it all away to spend time with a sick man like me.  I want to give my life away to let the sick know that there is a Physician who can heal whatever illness' they have.

I want to spend time with the "sinners" just like Jesus did.  I love the gathering of the saints, but is it possible that we can take that gathering beyond the four walls of an organized meeting and party a little like Matthew, Peter, Simon the Zealot, and our Lord?  Let's get out among the sick and proclaim the love of the Physician.  That is the example that Christ set for us.  Let's be bold and follow Him into those places that make us uncomfortable and trust that He will use us to bring healing to those who are sick and need redemption.     

     

Thanks to my good friend, Ross Jones, for recommending the Michael Card book.  I pass along this recommendation to anyone who reads this -  Michael Card Luke, the Gospel of Amazement.