April 27, 2024

Do you know who the people are who are the most likely to die from a curable disease? The people who refuse to admit that they need a doctor! It’s not that the symptoms aren’t there; they are. For many, it’s not that they don’t have medical insurance or the ability to pay. They do. For a lot of people, it’s not even that they aren’t being encouraged to see a doctor. Many of them have family and friends who have nagged them about seeing a physician. They are simply people who have convinced themselves that their issue is not that big of a deal, or they are too afraid to find out. That is, until they’re so sick or in so much pain that they can’t stand it anymore.
That’s why I love Jesus’ statement here. “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” What Jesus was saying was that He was not able to help people who were in denial. The people who “think they are righteous” weren’t really righteous. They were just pretending to be spiritually healthy. They were every bit as sinfully sick as the tax collectors, prostitutes, and others. The difference was the others KNEW they were and admitted they were. Jesus can do a lot with people who swallow their pride and get honest about their “sickness.”
Can YOU get honest today? Jesus can’t forgive your sins until you get honest and admit those sins. Jesus can’t work in your broken marriage until you get honest and admit how sick your marriage really is. Jesus can’t heal your painful past until you come out of the dark with it and admit the pain that’s there. Forgiveness, healing, and transformation are all the gifts that our Great Physician brings. But He can’t give them to people who are pretending to be healthy. Only to those who know how sick they are. Stop hiding. Stop covering up. Stop pretending. Stop living in denial. Get real with Jesus and you’ll discover just how real our Jesus is! That’s God’s Word for you today.