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Jesus in Matthew 9 calls Matthew to be one of disciples, to follow him and learn from him. When Jesus calls him, Matthew immediately leaves his very lucrative position as a tax collector to follow this strange Rabbi. That evening, Jesus dines in Matthew’s house with many “tax collectors and ’sinners.’” This would be akin to a preacher hanging out with the dejected and judged of our society. The Pharisees, seeing this, question Jesus’ disciples as to why he would dine with such wicked people, and before they can answer, Jesus responds:

It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.

There is a lot that we can gather from this passage, that has profound impact on our lives.

Jesus implies the illness of man.
We are broken and sick. This illness impacts every aspect of our existence from our individual desires and fears, to the brokenness of our families, to the corruption and greed within the powers that be. Our disease is very much akin to God-deficiency. Our corrupted sinful flesh causes a separation from the source of all life with which we are created to live. Romans 8:7-8 says:

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Our illness effects our minds and our hearts causing us to rebel against God. As Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death.” This disease is fatal.

Jesus came to bring the cure.
Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:15, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” Paul states that Jesus is the cure for sin. Hebrews 1:14-15 says:

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to to lifelong slavery.

With the cure of Jesus’ work on the cross and his resurrection, we no longer have to be afraid of the terminal effects of the disease.

We still need Jesus.
We understand Jesus’ words in Matthew 9 that it is the sick who need a physician, and most of us recognize our illness. However we often misunderstand our condition and the work of our doctor. Our condition was to be fatal, until Jesus provided the cure. However, this cure does not repair all of the damage and long term effects of our previous condition. While the disease no longer threatens death, we are in great need of continued treatment, or physical therapy if you will. Our attending physician, Jesus, has not abandoned us, but has left us with the Holy Spirit and his Holy Scripture.

Many of us are left with debilitating injuries and most of us have some sort of ailments that plague us. Whether it be pride, or lust, or envy we are in need of sanctification. We must not settle for the initial cure, freed from death. I pray that as we continually remember what Jesus has done for us that we will work with the power of his Holy Spirit according to his Holy Word in order to overcome the many things that cripple us, and hold us back from living life fully and richly.

May we recognize our need for Jesus and draw near to him. James 5:8 promises:

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

While this passage seems to be harsh, it is an attitude that longs for people to be whole and healthy, free from disease. We must take sin seriously and cling wholeheartedly to the hope of life free from the brokenness of this world, from the brokenness of ourselves.