MERRY MONDAY BY PARRIS
“They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” — Matthew 9:12.
When I was growing up, calling a doctor wasn’t the first on the list. I mean we had to be pretty bad off. I’m not saying that was wrong of my parents, it just was a big deal when we went to the doctor. But thank God we went when we did, for there was stitches to be sewn, tonsils to come out, bones to be mended. Being the way I was raised, I too fell in the same pattern of hesitating when to make “the call” with my kids. We really want to do things our way in our own time, and sometimes that can get us in a lot of trouble.
Jesus made it pretty clear why He came when he said, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they are sick”. Imagine if I had a doctor show up at my door without me calling him? Well, I would tell him thank you very much, but we are healthy, wealthy and wise and not needing your services. He might even appreciate the fact that I didn’t waste his time any further; after all, there are plenty of sick folk to tend to in the world right? I might point him to my neighbors house because they seem sickly….
Spurgeon says it better; “Christ did not come into the world merely to insult humanity. If humanity be the fine thing it thinks it is, then let it exalt itself as it may, and let it go on with the health it thinks it possesses; let it work out its own salvation if it will allow that even this is required. To send a physician to those who are whole is an insult to the physician too. He knocks at the door, “Who is ill here?” is the first question. “Nobody, we are all well, thank you, sir: we are all well, we thank God: we are not as other men are down the street there, we have no fever, the small-pox never comes here, we never catch the scarlatina, we have nothing of the kind, sir; we are glad to see you — glad to see you, but we have nothing the matter with us.” The physician would find at once that he had been hoaxed in being asked there.”
But you say, I have no need for Christ to come to me. My friend, we always have need! Need more of Him, need more compassion, more repentance, need to have the eyes to see and the eyes to hear. He comes because we need Him, and therefore He comes only to those who need Him; and if we do not need Him, and are such good respectable people, we must find our own way to heaven. He isn’t interested in the self righteous, ‘I’m never wrong’ type of people. The blind, the lame -are welcome guests at his table.
Spurgeon says; “Need, need alone, is that which quickens the physician’s footsteps. A man must have a deep and conscious need of Christ, or else he cannot illuminate the throne of Christ with glory by his praise, when he shall enter heaven.”
I think it’s about that time to call Doctor Jesus!