Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023 – Luke 5:27-39
I believe all of us share a common experience in our life- we’ve all been sick. I have zero doubt that some of us have been sicker than others… perhaps a common cold versus fighting for your life after having a septic infection in your body. The goal here isn’t to minimize one sickness or elevate another, but to sit and recognize we’ve all been sick. And with that, we have probably needed a doctor at one point in our life. In verse 31, Jesus says, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” In this verse, Jesus is specifically relating healthy people to those who are not living in sin or who are repenting from their sins, and as sick people as those who constantly live in sin and a state of righteousness and refuse to repent from their sin.
Those who are healthy do not need a doctor. Those who are not healthy and who are living in sin, do need a doctor. But that doesn’t mean they are necessarily going to seek one out in their life. There are many reasons why people don’t go to the doctor. Maybe they don’t know they are sick, or perhaps they think they can cure themselves over time. Maybe they don’t know how to access a doctor, or where to find one. Maybe they think that there are many people who are sicker than them, so they don’t need to see one. Perhaps they fear visiting a doctor and that they may leave differently than when they walked in.
You may relate to some of these reasons or maybe you have your own experiences as to why you don’t see a doctor when you are sick. However, Jesus says it's not the healthy who need a doctor, it is the sick. We are all in need of a doctor and an ultimate healer of our sins, and that is Jesus.
Jesus is a trustworthy and perfect doctor. Jesus heals us through redemption, freedom, and forgiveness. Jesus will always be available for us to call on him, and he will always want the best for us. Jesus does not want to see us sick, he wants to see us healthy and in relationship with him.
Questions for reflection:
- What is your experience with doctors in your life? What makes a good doctor and what makes a bad doctor?
- Have you ever thought of Jesus as the perfect doctor? How does this change your perception of him when it comes to healing from sin and the things that hold you back from living in full relationship with him?