Thoughts to Ponder from Luke 5:27-32

Luke 5:27-32 (ESV)

Jesus Calls Levi

²⁷ After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” ²⁸ And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

²⁹ And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. ³⁰ And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” ³¹ And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

“Those who are healthy do not need a physician” (Luke 5:31).

Imagine if a doctor set up a clinic in your town to treat a particularly elusive form of cancer. Wouldn’t it be a shame if the people who had this specific illness didn’t know they were affected and so never took advantage of the help that was just around the corner? Maybe they saw a few warning signs but dismissed them as minor ailments and never took the time to have themselves checked out more thoroughly. Or maybe they suspected all along something was wrong, but they just didn’t want to face the possibility of a medical crisis. How sad that would be.

It’s a normal human tendency to avoid bad news and to gloss over potential problems. That’s probably wha the Pharisees and scribes were doing in today’s Gospel reading. Yes, there were the known sinners like the prostitutes and tax collectors who were friends with Levi. But these religious experts were doing just fine. By all outward appearances, they were completely healthy. So why should they listen to Jesus?

Don’t make the same mistake! It’s never a bad idea to take a close look at your life to see if there are any “sicknesses” lurking somewhere in the shadows. To avoid the temptation to become too introspective, try to limit yourself to two areas that are common causes of spiritual ailments. First, take a look to see if any past hurts are lingering in your memory, keeping you bound up in anger, resentment, or lack of forgiveness. And second, ask yourself if there are any fears, anxieties, or doubts that are clouding your heart and robbing you of the joy of being close to the Lord.

If you see either of these forces in you, don’t waste any time. Call out to Jesus, the master physician, and ask him to help you. Like the doctor opening up a new clinic, he is offering you something dramatic, something that just may save your life. All it takes is a little humility to ask him for a checkup. Who knows what helaing he may have in store for you?

Jesus, I come to you now and ask you to free me from all bitterness and all anxiety. Lord, I trust in your mercy, your love, and your power to heal. Amen.

From The Word Among Us, March 12th, 2011